[clug] stupid Communications ministers

Peter Anderson peter.anderson at internode.on.net
Fri Nov 17 06:30:18 GMT 2006


It's not just the 'stupid Communications Ministers' but its also the 
stupid public servants at the Department of Communications and whatever 
else they are called these days.

I know its too late for this argument but it still makes my blood boil 
so here goes:

Why didn't the Government split Telstra before the T3 sale? It was just 
such a blindingly sensible thing to do. Whether you like the company or 
not; Telstra is always going to be at a disadvantage when it is required 
by regulation to provide its competitors with cheap access to its 
infrastructure. In what other industry does such stupidity prevail?

The Government (Minister for Communications and her Departmental 
advisers) should have pressed to split Telstra into two: retail and 
infrastructure. Either both could then be privatised as separate 
entities or (and if I were a politician this would be my preference) 
privatise the retail half and keep the infrastructure half as a 
Government Business Enterprise. Why I think the second option is the 
better (from a politician's point of view) is that the Parliament could 
have some direct say over technology roll-out and members could ensure 
that their constituents were given equitable treatment (I think its 
called 'pork barrelling).

However, successive ministers (beginning with that well known 
'innovator' Senator Richard Alston) their advisers and public servants 
have had their collective heads in the sand. They have been captives of 
the organisation they were meant to regulate (how often does one see 
this in government) and have consistently pushed a line of "what's good 
for Telstra" rather than "what's good for Australia".

I am just starting to warm-up and would like to have a 'spay' about my 
old workplace - NOIE - but will leave that for another time.

Regards,
Peter
-- 

Peter Anderson

E: peter.anderson at internode.on.net
W: http://www.users.on.net/~peter.anderson/ 
<http://www.users.on.net/%7Epeter.anderson/>
P: +61 (0)2 4472 2274
M: +61 (0)418 249 648

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to 
conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the 
introduction of a new order of things — Niccolo Machiavelli, /The 
Prince/, ch. 6


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