ALP rubbishes Gov't payphone initiative

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 08 June 2006 18:24

IT Policy - Regulation

The Australian Labor Party has dismissed the increased scrutiny proposed for Telstra's plans to remove payphones as just another public relations ploy from the cynical Howard government and "little more than hot air".
"The window dressing released by the Minister today does not change the fact that Telstra is only required by law to maintain less than one third of its 32,000 public payphones," shadow finance minister, Lindsay Tanner said.

He claimed that the only way to maintain telecommunications services standards for all Australians was to keep Telstra in majority public ownership and he called on the Government to "listen to the will of the Australian people and call off the sale of Telstra".