NBN gets mainlined into electoral consciousness

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 18 May 2011 20:46

Opinion and Analysis

The first mainland NBN site gets switched on, the headlines scream. In the sleepy NSW town of Armidale, heartland of former National Party turned ALP Government flack Tony Windsor. Whether broadband for the bush or a billion for a hospital in Tassie, Australians now know the truth about politics in this land.

The fact is, politics is a dirty game and everyone is out for his/her own piece of glory.  Seeing Tony Windsor's grinning face at the launch of the Armidale ribbon cutting ceremony, alongside Julia and Stephen, was a reminder that politicians are human.

In Tony Windsor's case, it wasn't about representing the hopes and aspirations of his predominantly conservative electorate, who would have otherwise voted for the National candidate. It was about getting through the next three years as a well-paid and disproportionally powerful, important man.

And today, Tony Windsor got his reward - Armidale was the first mainland site in Australia to get fibred up for the NBN.

Normally you would have expected a major regional centre to be the first port of call for the mainland NBN - but no it had to be Tony Windsor territory.

Armidale is a town of 25,000 or so - not insubstantial. So far 7 people have been connected and we're told that 3,000 or so Armidale residents will be on the NBN in the not too distant future.

As far as cost is concerned, well that's not our concern is it?

After all, us city and major regional centre dwellers - the 90% (or is that 93%) of the population - we'll just have to be content with what we've got for the time being while the marginal electorates in the bush get the super fast stuff.

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