Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Overview

The Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, enacted by the Australian Parliament, was designed to regulate postal and telegraph services across the nation. In response to the exigencies of World War II, Statutory Rules 1940, No. 28, issued under the authority of the Governor-General and the Federal Executive Council, amended the existing Telephone Regulations to provide a practical solution for service members. Specifically, this legislation aimed to address the financial burden faced by members of the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of the Commonwealth by reducing the cost of trunk line calls they made from camps while on duty. The policy objective was to offer a tangible form of support to these service members, recognising their sacrifices and the potential strain on their finances during wartime.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules 1940, No. 28, made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, introduces an amendment to the existing Telephone Regulations to address the charges for trunk line calls made by members of the Commonwealth's Naval, Military, or Air Forces when they are stationed at a camp and performing their duties. This regulation specifically targets members of these forces who make personal calls, not those made in the course of their official duties, and mandates that they be charged only half the usual fee for such calls. This reduction applies to any call originated from a camp, which is defined to include any camp, garrison, or military or air-force establishment as determined by the Department. The regulation further specifies that any fraction of a penny resulting from the half-fee calculation should be disregarded. The regulation does not specify exclusions or exemptions beyond the stated proviso regarding the nature of the call, and its application is limited to the geographic area of Australia, as per the overarching Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934.

Key Provisions

The primary operative section of this Statutory Rule is regulation 139a (1), which introduces a special provision for members of the Naval, Military or Air Forces of the Commonwealth. According to this regulation, if a member of these forces makes a trunk line call from a camp while performing their official duties, the charge for such a call will be reduced to one-half of the standard charge. Regulation 139a (2) further clarifies that the term "camp" encompasses any camp, garrison, or any other establishment determined by the Department to be a naval, military, or air-force camp. The obligations imposed by this regulation primarily concern the Department responsible for determining what constitutes a camp, garrison, or other establishment eligible for the half-fee provision. The Department must ensure that the definition is clear and that it encompasses all eligible locations, thereby enabling members of the forces to benefit from the reduced call charges. The Department must also ensure that the calculation of the reduced charge is performed correctly, rounding down any fractional amounts as specified in the regulation. There are no explicit offences or penalties mentioned within the regulation itself. However, the regulation is part of a broader statutory framework under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1934, which may include provisions for penalties in case of non-compliance or misuse of the benefits provided by this regulation. For example, if a member of the forces were to fraudulently claim the half-fee charge for personal calls made from a camp, they could potentially face penalties under the broader legislative framework.