Thanks to a member, more on Australia Post.

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Australia Post

Please find attached a PDF copy of Australia Post's response (dated 13 April) to our letter of objection to their ban on the international carriage of 'firearms' and 'firearm parts'; included in that response is also a copy of Australia Post's response (dated 23 February) to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Obviously, none of us are expert in the workings of the international post system, but we at Antique Arms & Militaria Auctions have never had any regulatory problems with our firearm exports, and Australia Post's reasoning for the ban still sounds like a load of nonsense to us.

Their reasons also contain a number of obvious "red herring" half truths, and, the deceptiveness of their argument is exposed by their use of the word "effectively":

"All [Australian] states, except Queensland, effectively prohibit the use of the post for sending firearms overseas." This is news to us!

"Similarly, the import of such items by post is effectively prohibited in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory." This too is news to us!

"Canada, ..., have already prohibited the carriage of firearms and firearm parts in their postal networks." More news!

The simple fact is firearms and firearm parts are not "dangerous" goods and therefore they can never "pose a potential threat to the safety and security of the [postal] network"; certainly they are less dangerous, to a postal worker, than any ill-packaged kitchen knife.

I expect that the Howard government will probably next want to "privatise" Australia Post; and one has to wonder just what sort of "universal" service will we then get?

Please, do feel free to offer any constructive comment on Australia Post's response. It is, after all, all of our antique collections that they are now causing to be further devalued.