2016
The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Presented and read a first time
Australian Postal Corporation (Unsolicited Political Communications) Bill 2016
No. , 2016
(Mr Wilkie)
A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, and for related purposes
Contents
1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1
2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1
3............ Schedules............................................................................................ 2
Schedule 1—Amendments 3
Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 3
A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, and for related purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Australian Postal Corporation (Unsolicited Political Communications) Act 2016.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table | The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. | |
| 2. Schedule 1 | 1 July 2017. | 1 July 2017 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989
1 At the end of section 32A
Add:
(4) Australia Post must not, in supplying a bulk interconnection service, deliver a letter to premises within Australia if:
(a) there is a sticker or sign displayed at the premises that contains the words “addressed mail only”, “no unaddressed mail” or “no political material”; and
(b) the letter is from, or contains information about:
(i) a registered political party (within the meaning of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918); or
(ii) a candidate in a House of Representatives or a Senate election; or
(iii) a Member of the House of Representatives; or
(iv) a Senator for a State or Territory.
2 Constitutional matters
(1) The amendment made by item 1 does not apply to the extent (if any) that it would infringe any constitutional doctrine of implied freedom of political communication.
(2) The amendment made by item 1 does not apply to the extent (if any) that it would result in an acquisition of property (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxxi) of the Constitution) from a person otherwise than on just terms (within the meaning of that paragraph of the Constitution).