Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that for similar reasons to Senator Ludlam’s I will not be supporting these amendments. There is a question to Senator Birmingham in relation to this. I understand the intent of what he is trying to do and I will not say it is well-meaning or well-intentioned because that is what Senator Birmingham accuses me of and I take that as—is it a backhanded insult? It is not a backhanded compliment—damning with faint praise I think is better. The concern I have is that, given the policy objective here of structural separation of Telstra, if we insert what Senator Birmingham is seeking to do on behalf of the coalition you would actually put a spanner in the works, because that is what I see as the public policy imperative: to structurally separate Telstra so that we do not have this vertically integrated monopoly of telecommunications services in this country. That was a mistake and I think there are some coalition senators, as I have said, who in their heart of hearts would acknowledge that the way this was done, particularly in the last sale, by having the wholesale and retail arms meshed together, has been bad for competition. It has been bad for services. I do not think it has been good for the bush.