everything you wanted to know about telstra
Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1461394.htm Broadcast: 15/09/2005 Clarke, Dawe and Telstra Reporter: John Clarke and Bryan Dawe
(BRYAN DAWE AS INTERVIEWER, JOHN CLARKE AS CONTESTANT)
INTERVIEWER: OK, your special subject is Australian Government policy. Your time starts now. Official Government policy is to sell Telstra.
CONTESTANT: Correct.
INTERVIEWER: Or to retain ownership of the half they still own?
CONTESTANT: Correct.
INTERVIEWER: For two different prices.
CONTESTANT: Correct.
INTERVIEWER: To the people who alre own it.
CONTESTANT: Correct.
INTERVIEWER: Against the wishes of the Australian public.
CONTESTANT: Do you mean all of the Australian public?
INTERVIEWER: I mean the great majority - Australia is a democracy.
CONTESTANT: Correct.
INTERVIEWER: Did the Government put any condition on the sale?
CONTESTANT: Yes, but they did it anyway.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. What was the condition?
CONTESTANT: That telephone services be improved in the bush.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. And did they improve the services in the bush?
CONTESTANT: Sorry, can you repeat the question?
INTERVIEWER: Can you be more specific?
CONTESTANT: I can hardly hear you.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. What did Telstra used to spend its money on?
CONTESTANT: On research and development in telephony.
INTERVIEWER: What did it spend its money on in recent years?
CONTESTANT: On returning a dividend to shareholders.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why is Telstra not worth as much money as the Government thought it was?
CONTESTANT: Well, because it's completely missed the boat on the new developments in technology and telephony.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why?
CONTESTANT: Because it didn't spend enough money on research and development.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why not?
CONTESTANT: Because it's been spending its money on returning a dividend to shareholders.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why can't the Government force Telstra to provide a proper service to the Australian public?
CONTESTANT: Telstra's a public company.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why can't Telstra concentrate on the services where the money really is?
CONTESTANT: Because it's run by the Government.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Who is Telstra's biggest shareholder?
CONTESTANT: The Government. CONTESTANT: The Government.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why?
CONTESTANT: Because they can't afford to sell it.
INTERVIEWER: Correct. Why did they want to sell it in the first place?
CONTESTANT: Pass.
INTERVIEWER: "To give Australians an opportunity to purchase a stake in this great national institution."
CONTESTANT: (Snorts) That can't be right - it's completely stuffed!
INTERVIEWER: Hang on a sec. Tony, can we accept "stuffed"?
TONY: Bloody oath we can - we were opposed to it in the first place and now it doesn't work as a service and it's missed the boat as a company!
BOTH: Correct!
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(20min delay)