Te Awamutu News – July 18, 2024
Waipā couple Ian and Danny Kennedy have lost their home and livelihood after they failed to secure an injunction to stop New Zealand Post terminating their rural delivery contract.
The Kennedys sold their Te Awamutu home last month and moved to the South Island, prompting a call for state owned enterprises minster Paul Goldsmith to open a ministerial inquiry into New Zealand Post’s handling of the case.
Goldsmith’s office passed the request from ProDrive chief executive Peter Gallagher onto Chris Bishop.
The Kennedys were contracted to sort, process, uplift and deliver “all mail and other items for delivery” for the Tamahere RD3 rural post run from April 1, 2019.
Chris Bishop
They invested $500,000 into the business which ran six vans with five staff. Their contract was cancelled on November 10, 2023, after they asked why other contractors were sorting, processing, uplifting and delivering mail in the Tamahere RD3 postal district.
Gallagher, who is representing the couple, wrote to Goldsmith and NZ Post chair Carol Campbell in June and followed up with a second letter last week to Taranaki-King Country National MP Barbara Kuriger alleging “serious matters of poor conduct and management malaise within New Zealand Post” and copied Goldsmith in.
Barbara Kuriger
Gallagher called for a fair and equitable settlement payment from New Zealand Post to Danny and Ian Kennedy as well as an inquiry “into the poor conduct and culture within New Zealand Post, which consistently appears predicated upon the tactics of deny, lie, bluff, block and bully and delay”.
He wrote: “the shameful treatment of the Kennedys has already been extensively covered by reputable media outlets and journalists over the past two years, without any trustworthy answers from New Zealand Post. We would add that you have personally experienced dishonesty from senior New Zealand Post executives… this is completely unacceptable to the NZ public, who have contributed over $200 million of subsidies to NZ Post over the past 10 years.”
NZ Post rural delivery contractors Ian and Danny Kennedy (left), with Pro Drovers Advocates CEO Peter Gallagher.
Gallagher urged Kuriger, who he had previously discussed the matter with, to press the relevant ministers and representatives of New Zealand Post to settle fairly with the Kennedys and to “put its house in order”.
Danny Kennedy told The News she supported Gallagher’s move.
Kuriger told The News “there are definitely questions that need answering”.
The News has sought comment from Bishop and NZ Post chair Carol Campbell.
See: Kennedys’ contract terminated
See: Rural post issue in court
Danny and Ian Kennedy, pictured on their run before it was terminated.
