[LINK] Lib policy on NBN or Malcolm's?

[Jan Whitaker]

Libs won't 'rip up' NBN: Turnbull

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/libs-wont-rip-up-nbn-turnbull-20101012-16h2y.html
October 12, 2010 - 1:24PM

Malcolm Turnbull says a Liberal government won't discard existing 
National Broadband Network (NBN) infrastructure if it wins the next election.

The shadow communication and broadband minister made the comments at 
a business banking forum in Sydney today.

Mr Turnbull said the Labor government's plan to close the existing 
copper wire network and replace it with a fibre optic network was wasteful.

"You can be sure that we won't start ripping things up (if elected)", 
he said in his opening address to the AB+F Corporate and Business 
Banking Forum.

Mr Turnbull said it was "simply reckless and irresponsible" of the 
government not to perform a cost benefit analysis before spending $43 
billion on the NBN.

"The Gillard government must urgently undertake a thorough cost 
benefit analysis of the NBN," he said.

"Its stubborn failure to do so can only lead us to conclude that it 
does not want to know what it fears it will reveal."

Mr Turnbull said overcapitalising on the NBN infrastructure would 
lead to higher prices for customers, or a loss for the government.

"It will either have to charge higher prices from the customer, or 
for political reasons ... not be able to generate adequate returns 
and end up with a value below its $43 billion."



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

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~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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