Nick Minchin makes merry with NBN panel "admissions"

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 09:52

IT Industry - Strategy

Professor Coutts is specifically quoting saying: “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.”

Minchin then added that he “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,” and continued saying:

“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.”

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

Minchin also notes that the Opposition “has repeatedly called on Senator Conroy to publicly release the panel of expert’s report” and demands: “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?”

To this end, Senator Minchin “yesterday submitted an FoI (freedom of information) request in relation to the panel’s report and also the NBN regulatory advice provided by the ACCC”, and his press release concludes here.

Ah. The no-broadband-yet bandwagon continues rolling on – if only it was laying the actual fibre cables required as this boondogglish bandwagon makes it journey!