|
|
|
Howard says bush up to scratch on telecommunications
14 Aug 2003
The Prime Minister says that telecommunications services in rural areas are "now mostly up to scratch - as I promised". He was talking on a TV program and stated that there is strong support for the full privatisation of Telstra, due to bush services having been upgraded.
Labor communications spokesman Lindsay Tanner disagreed and said that a privatised Telstra would abandon the interests of country Australians and focus on the lucrative big city markets, just as the banks have done. He claimed the National Party "knows this, they understand this", but would follow the Liberals. He called for the National Party to "stand up for its constituents" who are strongly opposed to the sale of Telstra.
Surveys by two rural MPs tend to back the Labor position. A survey in the rural NSW electorate of New England showed 98 per cent of people do not want the Government to sell Telstra. NSW Liberal MP Alby Schultz said he is getting more than 100 responses a day to his survey, with more than 96 per cent opposing full privatisation.
Sydney Morning Herald, 14/8/03.
|
|
