Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

The prospectus very clearly outlines Mr Cousins’ 26 years experience as a company director and other relevant experience for the position. As for who is bullying who, I would think in the circumstances that the Labor Party and particularly Senator Conroy talking about bullying people just about takes the cake. It is a bit rich when even his own side call him a dalek. What is the word: ‘ex-ter-min-ate’? That is what the Labor Party is all about. And the Telstra float is not a Labor Party branch stack where Senator Conroy can go around and kick doors and kick heads; this is an appropriate process where a man eminently qualified to be a director has been nominated by the government. The other matters, of course, are that the other directors are there for all to see in the Telstra prospectus. It is important that Mr Cousins’ nomination go forward. It will be supported by the government and it will be supported at the annual general meeting, and I would expect that Mr Cousins will be nominated and in fact he will be appointed.