... but he will probably love the following ... more to discuss...

... but he will probably love the following ... more to discuss apres ski


Senator Stephen Conroy muddies the policy waters
John Durie From: The Australian March 25, 2010 12:58PM
COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stephen Conroy’s contempt for the Australian public has no boundaries based on his latest offering, promising another round of media reviews in the second term of a Rudd government.

He can perhaps be excused for presuming there will be a second term, but surely it would be better for the minister to actually make decisions on the policy before him now, rather than rush to print talking up new inquiries.

NBN, as this column has noted many times, is brilliant in perception and one way or another should structurally break up Telstra, but so far all we have heard is talk and while there is action on the periphery the key decisions are pending.

It is expected to show there is a viable business case for rolling out the broadband scheme, even if Telstra walks away from negotiations.

The Government has failed to win parliamentary backing for plans to break-up Telstra, with the coalition and Family First Senator Steve Fielding opposing the moves.

The Greens also walked away from talks last week after Senator Conroy defied the Senate's call for him to table the McKinsey and KPMG study.

Last night the Greens communications spokesman, Scott Ludlam, remained sceptical about the Government's announcement.

"I will believe it when I see it," Senator Ludlam said of the offer to table the study.

However, the key senator said its release would certainly "smooth the way" for negotiating the passage of the telco reform bill when Parliament resumes sittings in May.

Senator Ludlam called for the release of the document in "the next week or so, so that we can properly evaluate it".

The Greens also want the Government to redraft its plans for the NBN, which yesterday announced the appointment of a deputy chairman, Harrison Young.

The Commonwealth Bank director will bring strong corporate and financial expertise to the broadband project -- which has been mired in controversy.

Mr Young was chairman of Morgan Stanley Australia for four years until 2007.

But the Government was forced to admit Mr Young also had given a $5000 donation to the election campaign of Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner.

Mr Tanner though took no part in the selection of Mr Young, according to Minister Conroy.