Steel, while last years figures may be swell, businesses don't give two hoots about them as they are old news.

What businesses do is look to the future and plan for such to the best of their ability. If this means reducing costs, so be it.

Now if you were to look at say QGC as an example, their employment pattern over the past few years has been jobs growth and more jobs growth, until recently that is.

My point is that once they have finished the bulk of their infrastructure, which they have now, you will see massive job cuts, which has and is still happening and, in the next year or so you will see huge profits, with only a small increase in jobs, simply because they will be finally selling gas, something they have not been doing yet.

This is the fundamental difference between governments and business, as governments wait for data to be released, then act, where as business acts then waits for data/results.

Besides, like it or not, the creating of jobs is not the priority of most businesses.

I worked for Australia Post years ago, When it became clear letter numbers where dropping, Management said Junk mail was the way to go (idiots), Union at the time wanted to invest in delivery services like DHL. My thoughts Find out who ran Australia Post 10 years Ago and sue crap out of them for being morons

Hello there STEELEREDUX...

It's a rare event indeed that I ever thought I'd agree with you on anything of note. However, I feel you're quite right when you say, we poor saps have all been sold a pup.

You're are correct when you opined that surely our postal system is a 'service' it's not there to make money, as an entrepreneurial business if you like. Australia is such a large country therefore a competent, reliable and affordable postal service is vitally important to us all.

It is amusing if the headling-hunting NSW 'Watermelon' Greens have suddenly discovered country people. Last years years ago they were beefing about a couple of Sydney inner city post offices closing.

What needs to be understood is that where there customers have already departed to render the services uneconomic, it would be very foolish to continue to pay for expensive real estate and idle staff. Maybe a poll on OLO to ascertain just who uses the snail mail and how often? Business has been conducted electronically for donkeys years and Australia Post's managers have held on tooth and claw to keep staff employed, and against the beaut, leading edge entitlements of public servants too.

Ahem, SteeleRedux:

- what were those businesses you say you ran (owned?) and what happened to cause you to move on?

- what practical initiatives would you, and the NSW 'Watermelon' Greens be recommending to make those customers go back to snail mail?

Maybe the NSW 'Watermelon' Greens have the North Korean model in mind? Although they don't get to post many letters do they?

correction, my first para above should have read,

"It is amusing if the headling-hunting NSW 'Watermelon' Greens have suddenly discovered country people. Last heard years ago they were beefing about a couple of Sydney inner city post offices closing."

o sung wu,

It isn't that Australia Post managers are letting the public down. They have tried their very best and often against unions and human headlines in the NSW Greens. The public has moved on to prefer electronic communication, which by virtue of technology, is infinitely cheaper and more convenient. Australia Post (and Telecom) once enjoyed a virtual monopoly on channels of communication.

OLO posters are not licking envelopes and stamps to post to an editor somewhere, are they?

SR,

I am not necessary talking about OECD countries. I can get a Aus to EU plug adaptor from China incl delivery for $1. Delivery from the US is not much more expensive than internally.

That there is already so much competition in the parcel delivery business shows that there is no reason why the government needs to compete against private business, and that Royal mail is struggling to compete against private letter deliveries in the city shows again that the only tiny segment of the market that requires any government intervention is the deliveries to remote rural areas. This can also be privately run with some subsidies from the government.