MARK DREYFUS MP

Member for Isaacs

Australians in limbo as as Turnbull pulls plug on NBN rollout data

27 January 2017

Once again the Turnbull Government has shown absolute contempt for Australian consumers seeking information about the NBN.

THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC

ACTING SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS

SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL

SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

MEMBER FOR ISAACS

 

AUSTRALIANS IN LIMBO AS TURNBULL PULLS THE PLUG ON NBN ROLLOUT DATA

Once again the Turnbull Government has shown absolute contempt for Australian consumers seeking information about the NBN.

On 20 December, 2016 NBN Co removed information from its website which allowed consumers to check what specific technology their home was going to receive.

Does the Turnbull Government really believe Australians don't care what technology they will be connected with? That quality of broadband is just an afterthought for Australians buying a house or choosing a place to rent?

This latest attempt to reduce transparency is a direct consequence of the multi-technology-mess that is unfolding by the week.

The Government's technology mix forecasts have jumped around like a yoyo. Malcolm Turnbull's short-sighted and reckless HFC and FTTN scheme is in chaos.

Over three years on and this hapless Government still cannot tell Australians what technology they will receive when they are connected to the NBN.

On top of this a further 400,000 brownfield Fibre to the Home connections were ripped out of the 2017 Corporate Plan and will be replaced by second rate FTTN.

But what do we expect from an incompetent Government that has turned a blind eye to the ongoing Centrelink debt recovery crisis?

Malcolm Turnbull has repeatedly promised transparency on the NBN:

"But our commitment is, our focus is, to have a much greater level of transparency and openness."

Malcolm Turnbull MP, Press Conference (24 September 2013)

"The bottom line is that as far as the NBN project is concerned, the government's commitment is to be completely transparent."

Malcolm Turnbull MP, House of Representatives Hansard (11 February 2014)

"The Government requires a high degree of transparency from NBN Co in its communication with the public and Parliament."

Malcolm Turnbull MP & Senator Mathias Cormann, Statement of Expectations to NBN Co (8 April 2014)

Yet these promises, as with everything to do with the Prime Minister, have turned out to be the same hollow rhetoric that has disappointed so many across the country.

There is only one reason for Malcolm Turnbull covering up the truth his second rate NBN is a mess and he is responsible for it.

FRIDAY, 27 JANUARY 2017