Whistle blown on Labor's national broadband network incompetence

Senator the Hon Nick Minchin
Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (to 8 December 2009)
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate

Two members of Senator Conroy’s National Broadband Network (NBN) panel of experts have finally lifted the lid on Labor’s broadband incompetence and recklessness, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Nick Minchin said today.

Panel member Professor Rod Tucker reportedly told an Alcatel-Lucent Forum last night that the panel was not asked to provide any advice on the viability of Labor’s $43 billion proposal.

“I just want to make one thing clear: the panel of experts was never asked to and didn’t make any judgement call on the issue of investment for a fibre to the home network,” Professor Tucker said.

Senator Conroy and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have repeatedly claimed that Labor’s $43 billion fibre to the premise NBN announcement was simply a case of the Government following the advice of its expert panel, after the panel reported that Labor’s election policy for an NBN could not be delivered.

Fellow panel member Professor Reg Coutts said the NBN simply could not be built without Telstra.

“I think you have to say that it’s the hypothetical fool’s experiment to imagine that this is going to happen without Telstra somehow being involved,” he said.

Senator Minchin welcomed the frankness of Professors Coutts and Tucker and said it finally confirmed what many suspected - Senator Conroy’s $43 billion broadband proposal is based on the shakiest of foundations.

“The Government claims its decision to build this network from a basis of heavy debt and deficit was based on the panel’s advice, yet the panel members themselves are trying to distance themselves from Senator Conroy and Mr Rudd’s claims.”

“It has now been confirmed that Senator Conroy has no idea whether this project will be commercially viable or not, yet he has arrogantly dismissed the need for any cost benefit analysis,” Senator Minchin said.

“Professor Coutts has also lifted the lid on Senator Conroy’s charade of pretending he could build an NBN without any involvement from Telstra.”

The Opposition has repeatedly called on Senator Conroy to publicly release the panel of expert’s report.

“Now that the panel members themselves are at direct odds with the Government about the advice they provided, there is an even greater onus on Senator Conroy to release the report. What is he trying to hide?”

Senator Minchin yesterday submitted an FoI request in relation to the panel’s report and also the NBN regulatory advice provided by the ACCC.

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