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

I know that Senator Conroy feels very embarrassed about the fact that the Labor Party are backing Telstra’s campaign to roll back regulation—and he is trying to rescue Senator Webber—but the point is that it is hardly surprising, when you look at the brochure that is attributed to Telstra, that the most dominant and the most profitable telecommunications company in Australia is asking for a winding back of regulation to entrench that position. That is not surprising. It is not surprising that Telstra, in looking after its own commercial interests, would want to roll back anything that stands in the way of it rolling over all its competitors. That is not surprising, but I am very shocked that the Labor Party would jump on this bandwagon and abandon consumers so wantonly.

The important thing is that this government look after the national interest. We understand that telecommunications providers want to look after their commercial interests and that commercial interests are basically driven by self-interest. There is nothing wrong with that; there is nothing wrong with business looking after its shareholders. But self-interest, of course, is not the way to go when you are looking after the national interest and the interests of all consumers. I think it shows Labor’s attitude to the vulnerability consumers will have if all competition regulation is rolled back. It shows they are clearly not ready for government.

Let me just give you a preview of what it would mean if Telstra’s campaign actually got up and if Labor’s support for them came to fruition. It would mean a widespread exit of competitors from the industry. It would mean a sharp and sustained increase in broadband and telephone call prices because there would only be one flavour and that would be Telstra—you could not have any choice you wanted. A return to the days when there was only one choice of provider would surely mean that there would be no incentive to roll out new services, and it would certainly mean that consumers would have very little choice. It would mean a substantial reduction in investment in both new infrastructure and new services. It would mean no more consumer rights to a phone service. And of course it would mean major breaches of Australia’s international trade obligations if we were to roll back that competition regulation. This government will not be dictated to by any company. We will continue to act in the national interest and not in the commercial interests of one company.