People will be able to block political material from entering their letterboxes should a bill introduced in Parliament by Denison independent MHR Andrew Wilkie win majority support.
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Under the Australian Postal Corporation Act, there is nothing to stop distribution of unaddressed political material to homes as Australia Post regards such information as a “community service”; thus “no junk mail” stickers are ignored.
Mr Wilkie said constituents had lobbied him over the past six years on the issue but Australia Post had told him that the exemption on political material was “set in stone.”
Mr Wilkie’s bill will change that law so that letterboxes signed with “addressed mail only”, “no unaddressed mail”, or “no political material” do not receive the political mail.
“I do hold out hope that the government and the Opposition will support what I am trying to achieve, because surely they would agree that it is the height of arrogance for politicians and political parties to force their written material on people who do not want it,” Mr Wilkie said.
“Now it’s time for the major parties to put political self-interest aside.”