❓ Premier Gallop strongly criticises the federal government's plan to fully privatise Telstra, arguing it will disadvantage Western Australia, particularly rural and regional communities, and represents a 'sell-out' of the Australian people.
AnsweredQoN 368Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Is the Premier aware of today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that the federal government will introduce legislation within the next few weeks to fully privatise Telstra? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
This is an extremely important issue for the future of Australia and, most importantly, it is vital in terms of the future of Western Australia, the largest state in the nation. This state has the largest expanse of area that contains rural, regional and remote communities, for whom telecommunications is a basic standard issue. This federal government will sell our basic infrastructure; namely, our national telecommunications company. This particular sell off is a sell-out of the Australian people. Make no mistake, what the Liberal Party, and now it would seem the National Party, in the commonwealth Parliament have agreed to works directly against the future interests of our state, particularly rural and regional Western Australia. Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: This is an extremely important issue for the future of Australia and, most importantly, it is vital in terms of the future of Western Australia, the largest state in the nation. This state has the largest expanse of area that contains rural, regional and remote communities, for whom telecommunications is a basic standard issue. This federal government will sell our basic infrastructure; namely, our national telecommunications company. This particular sell off is a sell-out of the Australian people. Make no mistake, what the Liberal Party, and now it would seem the National Party, in the commonwealth Parliament have agreed to works directly against the future interests of our state, particularly rural and regional Western Australia. Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
This is an extremely important issue for the future of Australia and, most importantly, it is vital in terms of the future of Western Australia, the largest state in the nation. This state has the largest expanse of area that contains rural, regional and remote communities, for whom telecommunications is a basic standard issue. This federal government will sell our basic infrastructure; namely, our national telecommunications company. This particular sell off is a sell-out of the Australian people. Make no mistake, what the Liberal Party, and now it would seem the National Party, in the commonwealth Parliament have agreed to works directly against the future interests of our state, particularly rural and regional Western Australia. Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: This is an extremely important issue for the future of Australia and, most importantly, it is vital in terms of the future of Western Australia, the largest state in the nation. This state has the largest expanse of area that contains rural, regional and remote communities, for whom telecommunications is a basic standard issue. This federal government will sell our basic infrastructure; namely, our national telecommunications company. This particular sell off is a sell-out of the Australian people. Make no mistake, what the Liberal Party, and now it would seem the National Party, in the commonwealth Parliament have agreed to works directly against the future interests of our state, particularly rural and regional Western Australia. Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
This is an extremely important issue for the future of Australia and, most importantly, it is vital in terms of the future of Western Australia, the largest state in the nation. This state has the largest expanse of area that contains rural, regional and remote communities, for whom telecommunications is a basic standard issue. This federal government will sell our basic infrastructure; namely, our national telecommunications company. This particular sell off is a sell-out of the Australian people. Make no mistake, what the Liberal Party, and now it would seem the National Party, in the commonwealth Parliament have agreed to works directly against the future interests of our state, particularly rural and regional Western Australia. Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Let us look at what the National Party has accepted in order to pass this legislation; namely, the so-called $3 billion Telstra fund. Let us keep this in perspective. Telstra is currently 50 per cent owned by the government of Australia, and it will be sold off. What the commonwealth is saying is that, into the future, all the infrastructure needs of rural and regional Western Australia, and indeed of Australia, can be encapsulated in a $3 billion fund. What a sell-out by the National Party to the people of Western Australia and Australia. The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
The notion that we can take $3 billion from the future funds that would be available from a government-owned company, which could be reinvested into the future of the nation and encapsulated into one fund, is a complete sell-out. We will get a privatised company and it will be concerned with one issue and one issue alone; that is, the rate of return for those who invest in it. Forget the rural and regional consumers, because that company will say, “You’ve got your $3 billion fund.” What a sell-out! There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
There is another aspect of this sell-out that is particularly concerning to the people of Western Australia. We cannot trust the commonwealth when it comes to these sorts of funds. We have seen with our transport funding and all areas of government service delivery that the state of Western Australia does not get a fair share. Western Australia will be the loser from the privatisation of Telstra. It is the largest state and it never gets a fair deal from the commonwealth when it comes to the distribution of money. The commonwealth government believes that, as a government, we shall sit by and allow Queensland to take the cake while we get the crumbs. However, this government will stand up for the people of Western Australia. The important question is: where is the Liberal Party, and where is the National Party? Where do they stand on this issue? The people of Australia are not going to fall for that one. Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Let me summarise the argument: there is no case to privatise Telstra, which provides basic telecommunications infrastructure that should remain in government ownership to service the needs of the community into the future. The $3 billion Telstra fund is a sell-out, particularly to the people of Western Australia. Queensland thinks it can get the cake and the commonwealth government thinks we will accept the crumbs. We will not. We will work against this and we will remind the people of Western Australia of the silence of the Liberal Party and the sell-out by the National Party. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the National Party and the member for Warren-Blackwood.
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