Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister for Finance and Administration. Is the minister aware of comments by his colleague the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts last weekend warning small investors to be wary of buying into Telstra? Is the minister further aware of Senator Coonan’s claims that the recent downward spiral is the main reason why the government should sell Telstra? She said:

We don’t think this is the best way to invest taxpayers’ money. The volatility of the share price is proof of that.

Didn’t the minister for communications also admit that it may get to the point at which the government would have to sack the Telstra board? Given Senator Coonan’s comments that Telstra is not the best way to invest taxpayers’ money and that the government may have to sack the Telstra board, can the minister now explain why he thinks Telstra will be a good buy for Australian small investors?