A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
NBN REPORT CRAFTED BY RUDD
06 May, 2010
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Speaking from far North-Western Queensland, Senator Ian Macdonald said he would raise with the NBN Committee whether or not the Committee should closely investigate not only the detail of the Report but the circumstance surrounding the long delay in its release.
“A report in the Australian Newspaper claiming the Study was handed back to McKinsey to be “reworked” at an additional cost of $2 million is alarming and suggests the Government was determined to craft the outcome of the Study,” Senator Macdonald said.
“The Rudd Government paid a whopping $25 million to make up for its failure to even carry out the most basic of business plans - a cost-benefit analysis, and even this study disclaims that responsibility.
“The Study also failed to examine other critical elements of the National Broadband Network including implementation planning, engineering analysis, technology evaluation and roll-out planning.
“It’s clear the Rudd Government crafted the terms of reference for the report in order to get the least possible scrutiny of the economics of the now $38 billion project,” Senator Macdonald said.
“Every step of the way the Rudd Government has resisted any scrutiny of the flawed project and it’s not surprising why.
“The technology involved in delivering high-speed internet is moving and changing at such a fast pace there is likely to be new technology delivering high speed communications long before the Rudd Government’s National Broadband Network roll out is anywhere near completed,” he said.
“A clear example of this new technology can be found in the work being carried out in wireless internet – while 93% of Australian’s may receive fibre to the home, 99% of the population already have access to wireless broadband,” Senator Macdonald said.