Australia Post Chief Receives Large Bonus as Greens Propose New Tax Changes

UPDATE - follow-up to Politics live: Greens propose tax change to save Australians $1,000 a year; eSafety says social media akin to gladiator arena: Australia Post outgoing chief executive Paul Graham received a bonus of $1.2m on top of his $1.64m base salary in the last financial year. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson described the payout as a mind-blowing amount of money.

Property Sales And Finances

The bonus followed property sales totaling $139.4m that pushed Australia Post into a profit. Australia Post reported a profit before tax of $31.8m, but would have faced a loss before tax of $107.6m without those property sales, as letter volumes dropped by 14.7% in the 2026 financial year.

Greens Proposals

Meanwhile, Greens leader David Shoebridge addressed the National Press Club in Canberra to propose lifting the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000. He also proposed a $1,000 annual boost for people on income support, including pensioners, carers, students, and job seekers. Parliamentary Budget Office costings indicate the plan would cost about $22bn a year, which Shoebridge intends to fund through higher taxes on gas exports and resource companies. Shoebridge is also addressing allegations against senator Jordon Steele-John, who is on leave and denies allegations regarding his conduct towards women.

Political Reactions

In other political developments, communications minister Anika Wells stated that the ABC is well within its rights to explore legal options and send a cease and desist letter over One Nation using the Bluey cartoon in its own series. Wells stated that One Nation must explain why the depiction qualifies as satire. Additionally, opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Ted O'Brien stated the government must go back to the drawing board on its social media bill, citing concerns over e-safety commissioner powers and risks to small businesses.

Context

Australia Post operates as a government-owned business enterprise that provides postal services across the country while adapting to declining physical mail volumes through property strategies and parcel delivery. Senate estimates hearings provide a formal public mechanism for Australian parliamentary committees to question government departments and agencies about public spending and administration.