Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister’s advice is contrary to that given to the Senate select committee on that subject, but I ask the minister why it is that in the deal—mind you, I emphasise that it is a non-binding deal—Telstra is forbidden to have infrastructure which can compete with the NBN. Is this a back-to-the-1950s, government owned monopoly? Is this deal all about killing competition in the name of promoting competition?