Shadow Minister slams NBN 'incompetence'

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 06 August 2009 12:04

Business IT - Technology

Shadow Minister for Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy Nick Minchin has blasted as "incompetence and mismanagement" the appointment of McKinsey-KPMG as lead advisor to the National Broadband Network (NBN) implementation study.

As reported earlier today, the Federal Government has appointed a consortium formed by McKinsey and KPMG to act as lead advisor to the NBN implementation study.

According to Minchin, the fact that this process took four months "further underlines the incompetence and mismanagement of the Rudd Government."

It's not that he has any gripes with the companies themselves. "As well qualified as KPMG and McKinsey and Company are they face an enormous and potentially impossible task of coming up with a way of implementing Labor’s reckless and hastily dreamt up promise in a responsible and realistic manner," he said.

He also implies that McKinsey-KMPG will have its arm twisted into delivering the results the Government wants. "It is also essential that KPMG and McKinsey and Company are left to lead an implementation study free of political interference, even if the end advice provided to the Government is not what Mr Rudd wants to hear," said Minchin.

The senator also sees the study as a delaying tactic to get the Government through to the next election without getting the NBN off the ground.

But if the next election meant choosing between a party committed to the NBN and one that wasn't, which way would you vote?