Dear o sung wu,

Firstly mate regarding your earlier post I am more than happy to get pulled up on any facts I present. I come here to be challenged not to have my evidence blindly accepted nor my views reinforced in some likeminded gabfest.

Secondly if you think a fully privatised postal service will mean better services then you sir are a fool. The services you and I were used to in days gone by have disappeared primarily because the organisation is run now on corporate rather than utility, grounds complete with obscene salaries for the executives.

Most Australians were prepared to wear a bit extra for the cost of a stamp if it allowed a letter to be sent anywhere in this nation for the same price regardless of distance. It spoke to the egalitarian ethic we use to have. Well that is now under dire threat. The big investment banks are circling and want to get their hands on Australia Post and chuck fairness out the bloody window. Are you really going to be there cheering them on?

Finally you know whenever you raise your police pension I will remind all and sundry that as a NSW copper you were on the most generous public servant scheme bar the pollies devised by man. Further I will remind you that as a public servant you got paid from the taxes of the rest of us.

SR,

I will stick the dictionary definition of privatise that 99% of the world recognises ie "transfer (a business, industry, or service) from public to private ownership and control."

As both the NBN and Aus Post are entirely government owned, they have not been privatised in any way. That they have been restructured to run in a fashion that mimics the real world is largely to keep the internal affairs out of the hands of bureaucrats.

The two state banks that collapsed were due to incompetent management, that public servants are prone to in the business world. That Keating got >50 years worth of profits for the CBA showed how badly it was being managed as well. As for bank services and fees increasing, that probably had more to do with the change in regulations than the privatisation.

Banks borrow funds from investors to lend to the public. Their financial viability enables them to borrow at low rates that they pass onto customers. A bank that does not make a profit will fail and be unable to help "the people" in any way. I find it sad that you are obviously such a dyed in the wool socialist that you equate profits with theft.

The CBA privatisation was a success in pretty much every way except for those that espouse the politics of envy.

The US postal system has recorded staggering losses since its heady days of surplus ended in 2006. It has recorded 10 straight years of loss, culminating in a record loss of $15.9 billion in 2012. US post is not unique in this department with most of the worlds postal services, both private and public having suffered the same sorts of results in recent years, driven by the declining letter business which had peeked in 2008, Australia Post being the leading exception to this rule.

The only disaster year for Australia Post was 2014/15 when a $222 operating loss was recorded, it is now back in the black. The losses can be attributed to a rapid decline in the letter business, with a 10% down turn in 2015 alone, and this was despite heavy investment in latter handing infrastructure by Post. Australia Post leads the market by a mile, in the very profitable parcel delivery business, despite new and strong private competition. It is the only service that offers a $7.60 500g parcel delivery anywhere in Australia, try getting that from private enterprise! While you are at it see if they will deliver a small letter/parcel up to 125g from say Strawn in Tasmania to Broome in WA, actually between ant two points in Australia, for $2. Try getting Metropolitan parcel delivery from a private operator, up to 22kg for $10.40! Fat chance. GO FOR IT SHADOW.

What would happen with privatization, is there would be more emphasis place on the 'user pay' system. Any private operator would want total control of the profitable parcel and other services, while wanting government subsidy of the letter loss business. The reality is the big users of the letter business are corporations, telco's, energy corps, mail out business etc, they would be the ones to benefit from government subsidy, not the little old granny posting Xmas cards.

STEELEREDUX...

Perhaps sir, may I respectfully suggest you read my contribution more carefully when I said inter alia '...I couldn't give a bugger whether Oz Post is public or privately run...'. And to read anymore into that precise statement illustrates to me, 'then you Sir are the fool'.

Apropos my police pension as we've discussed on previous occasions, it may well be a good scheme, however we surely do earn it. Or would you like to dispute that as well ? I should also remind you I drew a reference to my pension, with another contributor herein, and by the way you forgot to include my DVA 100% disability pension as well. And that my friend is tax free.

As you can see STEELEREDUX my death will prove an utter windfall for the Oz taxpayers - no more pension, no more DVA 100%, no further free medical, dental, and other ancillary health care benefits. A substantial fiscal euphoria for the Oz taxpayer, I would've thought.

And do you honestly believe for a moment, that I'm somehow so damn ungrateful and unappreciative for the enormous financial and medical advantages that I regularly receive from our forlorn Aussie taxpayers, when compared with other vets, with similar military service? If you do STEELEREDUX; then again Sir, it is you who's the fool.

As an aside, I've always contended, the Aussie Veterans are probably the best cared for Vets. in the Western World, when juxtaposed with other similar Nations.

Paul,

That Auspost has many assets at its disposal free of charge is a huge indirect subsidy that reduces its running costs, yet is competing against businesses that aren't subsidized, and have to meet profit margins to satisfy their shareholders.

Flogging Aus post would go a long way to paying off labor's debt.