Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 16 February 2008 11:40
IT Policy -
Regulation
Page 1 of 2
The Federal Australian Opposition is outraged, accusing the new
Australian Labor Government of wanting to raid the $2 billion
‘Communications Fund’, not only of the interest meant to be spent on
rural and regional telecommunications, but also the principal, on other
projects.
Australia’s Shadow Communications Minister, Bruce Billson, has accused the new Australian Federal Government of wanting to raid a special $2 billion fund that the previous government set up to specifically provide, effectively in perpetuity, for regular upgrades of the telecommunications network in rural and regional areas.
Linsday Tanner, the new Labor Finance Minister, introduced legislation to change the law regarding the Fund’s use.
Quoting from a report by the
Australian Associated Press, Tanner said that: "The final decision on use of the fund will be made in the context of the government's overall fiscal strategy. The Rudd government's plan to roll-out a national broadband network is fully consistent with this, but it will deliver in a much shorter time frame”.
Tanner is quoted to have continued saying that: "The government is prepared to use the fund now to provide better broadband services to 98 per cent of Australian residential and business customers. Under the previous government's approach, regional Australians would be waiting 35 long years to reach the same level of investment in telecommunications that Labor is prepared to make right now.”
But Shadow Communications Minister Bruce Billson is unconvinced, issuing a
statement outlining the opposition’s concerns.
Billson’s statement says the Labor Government’s new Bill would “allow the Rudd [Labor] Government to buy shares or other interests in companies, make unconditional grants to telcos or even directly purchase assets and equipment connected to a broadband network”.
The statement reminds us all that the previous Government’s plans were heartily welcomed by rural and regional Australians thanks to the “commitment to ensure that they have access to modern telecommunications services with targeted and strategic assistance that is available not just as a 'one-off' initiative, but in perpetuity”.
So, what else is the Shadow Minister of Communications worried that the new Government will do to wreck the Communications Fund and the communications future of rural and regional Australians? Please read onto page 2.
