Your letter, reference 97021185

[Edwin Parsons]

Greetings,

The person to speak to is David Kennedy on 06 277 7480. He's at
Senator Alston's office in the capital. Anyone concerned about this
should ring him and voice their disgust.

regards

Edwin Parsons


At 11:34 AM 3/26/97 +1100, Rachel Polanskis wrote:
>Minister,
>I am disgusted by the lies you expressed in your letter dated 28/2/1997
>
>Your reference:  97021185
>Regarding the matter of timed data calls.
>
>An assurance was made to me  in this letter that:
>
>"Access to untimed local calls is a key element of the Commonwealth
Government's telecommunications policy".
>
>
>It goes on to say:
>
>"Under the Telecommunications Act 1991, all customers currently 
>have a legislated right to untimed local calls made using he standard
telephone service."
>
>
>It also says:
>
>"Because it could be argued that the provisions in the current Act only apply 
>to calls made using a telephone handset, in other words, voice calls, 
>the new legislation makes it clear that a residential customer's right 
>to untimed calls will apply to both voice and non-voice calls made 
>using the standard telephone service.
>Non-voice calls include, for example, calls made to send faxes or email, 
>or connect to an Internet service provider.  The Government believes 
>this approach will 
>facilitate community access to, and use of, data services like the Internet."
>
>
>Please explain why I was lied to in this blatant manner.
>I believe I am justified in an explanation.
>
>Your government has lied too many times to the public, for any further trust
>or confidence to be taken in you.
>
>By allowing timed data calls to go ahead you are emasculating the thrust
>of Australian innovation and research in Information Technology,
>and ruining the prospects of many small Internet Service Providers 
>(often these are the very same Small Businesses your government purports 
>to support),  and setting our country further behind in terms of our 
>ability to stride into the 21st Century with a strong technological 
>academic and market presence.
>
>I am angry, and disgusted by the fact you had the audacity to lie to me,
>and that you have no comprehension of the implications of the legislation
>you have just allowed to be passed.
>
>An apology to me is warranted, and an explanation of why this was 
>allowed to happen after assurances were made that it would not 
>is expected.
>
>
>Rachel Polanskis
>Assistant UNIX Administrator 
>University of Western Sydney, Nepean
>
>
>                 defghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz:  What? No ABC?
>--
>Rachel Polanskis                 Kingswood, Greater Western Sydney, Australia 
>grove@zeta.org.au                http://www.zeta.org.au/~grove/grove.html
>r.polanskis@nepean.uws.edu.au    http://www.nepean.uws.edu.au/ccd/
>                Witty comment revoked due to funding cuts
>
>