Media Statement - 9th August 2007
The Howard Government proved again in the Parliament this week how desperate and out of ideas they are on securing broadband for regional Australia.
With no worthwhile strategy of their own to secure a broadband network for regional Australia, the only plan this Government has is to introduce legislation to block Labor’s plan – a plan that will work.
Desperate and floundering, they have to resort to a cheap political stunt to quarantine the use of the $2 billion Communications Fund, with its inadequate plan to just use the interest from it.
The Fund was set up to secure the telecommunications needs of regional Australia and to buy the National Party’s support in the sale of Telstra.
The Government’s plan to use just the interest from the Fund will not secure fast, affordable broadband for regional Australia.
The Government’s Bill will deny the full use of the Fund for the purpose it was intended. It will only hide their own incompetence in securing regional broadband.
Labor will use the Fund for the purpose that it was set up. It will form part of the $4.7 billion public equity injection to guarantee 98% of Australians will be served by a fibre to the node network, delivering true broadband speeds of a minimum of 12 megabits per second.
The 2% which cannot be reached by fibre due to their geographical location will be guaranteed broadband access through alternative technologies, which will be as close as possible to that provided by the new fibre network.
Not only are the Government’s actions a stunt, it is hypocritical.
The Howard Government has already spent $4 billion of public funds but regional Australia still does not have the world first broadband services it needs and deserves.
Pre-election bandaids and cheap political stunts will not secure our regions’ future.
Only a Rudd Labor Government can guarantee regional Australia access to a world-class fibre-to-the-node broadband network.