| PM's blood boils at 'secret' payphone removal plan |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Monday, 02 October 2006 | |
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So why did Howard put him forward when he knew the strength of opposition among the current board? At least two respected commentators - Alan Kohler and Elizabeth Knight in the Sydney Morning Herald - have suggested that, not only did he know full well how much the board would dislike the move, but that, indeed was why he did it. To put it simply: vengeance. Kohler concluded: “evidence suggests that it was just an angry whack - pure machismo from the prime minister designed to leave behind a dysfunctional board for Future Fund chairman David Murray and CEO Paul Costello when they inherit 30 percent of the company.” Knight commented: "Having endured that pain [Telstra's plunging share price under Sol Trujillo] Howard had two motives for upsetting the boardroom equilibrium and reasserting some control over Telstra on the eve of selling out. The first is revenge - it's human nature and easy to understand." Now Howard seems to be showing a similar lack of judgement on another contentious issue: payphones. The Sunday Age this week had something of a scoop. It claimed to have been told by a Telstra whistleblower of a 'Stage Two' plan by Telstra to rip out 5000 public pay phones around schools, universities and hospitals in the lead-up to next year's federal election and it said the move was a component of "secret plans designed to take on the Howard Government." |
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