First NBN bill gets a second second reading

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 20 August 2009 11:55

IT Industry - Strategy

The Government has re-introduced its first piece of NBN legislation into the House of Representatives after first introducing it into the Senate, where debate on all NBN legislation has now been blocked by the Coalition and other members pending release by the government of information on the first failed NBN project.

The Bill seeks to amend the Telecommunications Act to require telcos and utilities to provide information about their networks for use during the NBN implementation study and also for any subsequent rollout.

The first second reading speech was delivered in the Senate by environment minister, Penny Wong, on 25 June. Since then the Senate Committee examining the bill has released its report, recommending that the bill be passed, but containing objections from Coalition member. The Coalition has since said it will seek amendments to the bill.

In the second, second reading speech in the House on 19 August Anthony Albanese, the minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government, said: "This bill will replace the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network Measures No. 1) Bill 2009 currently before the Senate. The only difference in this bill is to the definition of the term 'NBN Company', which has been updated to reflect the fact that the company established by the government has recently changed its name to NBN Co. Ltd."

He added: "The current motion in the Senate is preventing bills relating to the National Broadband Network being debated in the Senate. In the meantime, in order to progress this bill and the rollout of the National Broadband Network as quickly as possible, this bill has been introduced in the House."

However it cannot pass into legislation until debated and passed by the Senate and shadow communications minister, Nick Minchin said earlier this week: "There is also a Senate Order in place requiring communications minister Stephen Conroy to table the reports of both the NBN expert panel and ACCC which relate to his first failed NBN tender process, before any NBN-related Bills are debated in the Senate. The Coalition will oppose any attempts by the Government to debate this Bill in the absence of its compliance with this Order."

With this barrier in place it is unclear why the bill has been re-introduced, although one Parliamentary insider suggested to iTWire that communications ministers Stephen Conroy might be hoping that passage of the bill by the House would pressure senators into lifting their ban.