Senate to quiz Australia Post over CEO pay

The chairman of Australia Post will be hauled before a Senate committee to justify his chief executive's salary.

Ahmed Fahour's $4.4 million salary and a $1.2 million bonus, which the government-owned business wanted to keep secret, were revealed in documents released by a parliamentary committee this week.

It has prompted widespread criticism from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull down.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield told Senate question time on Thursday he had urged the board to give more rigorous consideration to remuneration packages and be conscious of community expectations.

"And that the board takes executive remuneration into account when seeking to reduce operational costs," he said.