The Letter

About six months ago Australia Post replaced it’s local petrol motorbikes with e-trikes. 

Apparently this decision was made because the quantity of letters was reducing whilst the parcels were increasing.  Moreover the number of delivery days has been reduced from five to three.  The e-trikes are made in Switzerland and apparently cost approximately $10-15,000 each.  They are powered by a 200Ah lithium battery with a stated range of 153km.

We don’t receive many letters but today Postman Pat delivered one address to me.  Upon opening it I discovered our Federal Member of Parliament wanted to wish me happy birthday.  As I’ve never met the woman, I wondered why she would bother.  Then I immediately realised she hadn’t bothered.  The postage and cost of printing the letter had been paid by the tax-payer… ME!!!  It wasn’t even a personalized letter.  Just a piece of computer generated paper with my name filled in from a database.  It wasn’t even the name I’m usually called but my more formal birth name. 

Then I started thinking about the source of the information.  Yes, I am on the electoral roll and I’ve been online to check what information is displayed.  All I see is my name and address. No date of birth.  But why should this personal information be given to a MP.  The answer is in the FAQs on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website where it states; in part

is supplied to prescribed authorities, such as members of parliament, political parties, approved medical researchers, and public health programs

Then

What information is provided to political parties In line with the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the AEC may provide the name, address and gender of electors to prescribed authorities.

Nothing about date of birth!

Yes I am starting to get paranoid about organisations and governments collecting and retaining my personal data.