In June 2014, before he became prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull – then minister for communications in the Abbott government – addressed the imposingly named ‘CEDA National Annual Conference – State of the Nation’. His paper was titled ‘Australia Post in the Digital Age’.

‘Australia Post,’ the minister stated, ‘[was] facing up to a technology tsunami which threatens its fundamental business model … Australia Post’s ability to respond to digital disruption – to digital substitution – [was] limited under regulations that [compelled] the company to provide a five day a week delivery service to 98 per cent of all homes and businesses.’ Nor did Turnbull overlook the hard-working ‘postie’, compelled to ‘go up and down your street every day whether his bag of letters is full or nearly empty’.