24/07 Wednesday 21 March 2007
Same old Labor - nothing new in Mr Rudd's broadband proposal
Labor’s broadband proposal is nothing more than another reheated Beazley proposal, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan said today.
“Labor’s proposal will entrench its legendary neglect for rural and regional Australia by abolishing the $2 billion Communications Fund earmarked to ensure that non-metropolitan Australians can get reliable services in the future,” Senator Coonan said.
“Added to this, Labor announced today that it is prepared to throw out its ideological opposition to the sale of Telstra provided they can now get their hands on the money.
“This is text book Labor and a very clear signal that if elected, they will spend the Future Fund and send Australia back into recession.
“Australians still vividly remember the ‘recession they had to have’ and today’s announcement is akin to giving the bank robber the keys to the vault.
Senator Coonan said that broadband infrastructure is critical for Australia’s economic prosperity and this is why it is so important that the availability of these services is not just for the densely populated metropolitan areas of main cities, but that they are also available for those who live in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia.
“The Howard Government has already invested close to $4 billion in providing broadband and other critical telecommunications services to regional and outer metropolitan Australia since 2005,” Senator Coonan said.
“And just last week, I announced a further $162.5 million to support the Australian Broadband Guarantee that will fill in the remaining black spots in metropolitan, outer metropolitan and regional and remote Australia and ensure equitably priced broadband access for all Australians, regardless of where they live.
“The Howard Government has also provided $600 million to allow the rollout of a new open access network that will provide national solutions to the need to scale up as the consumer’s appetite for faster broadband grows,” Senator Coonan said.
“Labor will rip funds for communications services out of rural and regional Australia to benefit the central commercial areas of Australia’s mainland capital cities, taking funds for broadband out of Ballarat and into Collins Street, out of Tamworth and into Pitt Street, and out of the Pilbara and into St Georges Terrace.
“Their proposal is unlikely to go anywhere near Hobart, Darwin, Wollongong, Canberra, Townsville, Cairns, Burnie or Geelong.
“The Australian public should not be duped. Labor cannot be trusted with the needs of people living outside the CBD’s, it cannot be trusted with this country’s telecommunications infrastructure, and it certainly can’t be trusted with the Australian economy.”
Media Contact: Fiona Telford 02 6277 7480