❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding potential increases in telecommunication costs for Western Australians, particularly in regional areas, following the Telstra privatisation and the planned decommissioning of the CDMA network.
AnsweredQoN 736Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
My question does not have any extra questions! Is the minister aware of any moves to increase telecommunication costs to Western Australians? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
AnswerView source ↗
Yesterday I visited the electorate of the Leader of the National Party. I went to Wyalkatchem, where I bestowed upon Mavis Bookham the honour of being a Freeman of Wyalkatchem. I am sure that the Leader of the National Party will pass on his own congratulations to Ms Bookham, who has served Wyalkatchem for over 60 years. As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: Yesterday I visited the electorate of the Leader of the National Party. I went to Wyalkatchem, where I bestowed upon Mavis Bookham the honour of being a Freeman of Wyalkatchem. I am sure that the Leader of the National Party will pass on his own congratulations to Ms Bookham, who has served Wyalkatchem for over 60 years. As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Yesterday I visited the electorate of the Leader of the National Party. I went to Wyalkatchem, where I bestowed upon Mavis Bookham the honour of being a Freeman of Wyalkatchem. I am sure that the Leader of the National Party will pass on his own congratulations to Ms Bookham, who has served Wyalkatchem for over 60 years. As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: Yesterday I visited the electorate of the Leader of the National Party. I went to Wyalkatchem, where I bestowed upon Mavis Bookham the honour of being a Freeman of Wyalkatchem. I am sure that the Leader of the National Party will pass on his own congratulations to Ms Bookham, who has served Wyalkatchem for over 60 years. As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Yesterday I visited the electorate of the Leader of the National Party. I went to Wyalkatchem, where I bestowed upon Mavis Bookham the honour of being a Freeman of Wyalkatchem. I am sure that the Leader of the National Party will pass on his own congratulations to Ms Bookham, who has served Wyalkatchem for over 60 years. As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
As we left Wyalkatchem my staff tried to ring my office in Perth but could not do so because they had a GSM telephone - some people would call it a digital telephone. I said they could use my CDMA phone and they got through because CDMA is all throughout Western Australia. Most country towns have CDMA. The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
The ink is just dry on the sale of the Telstra bill and suddenly we are finding out that the CDMA network around regional Western Australia is to be scrapped. I am sure that most of the Liberal and National Party members opposite who represent country towns will not have GSM telephones but CDMA telephones. I am sure they will be embarrassed to find out that their federal colleagues have, once again, paved the way for the diminution of services in the country. Alarm bells would have also rung because not only have they found out that the CDMA network - which I know most country MPs use - is to be got rid of, but also 12 000 jobs will be scrapped. Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr A.D. McRae : The member for Darling Range says it is modernisation. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : He probably has GSM, sitting up on the Darling scarp looking down on Perth. Most of us in the real country must use CDMA telephones. When the ink has only just dried we find that Telstra is to shed 12 000 jobs. Guess where most of those jobs will come from? A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
A government member: The bush. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : The bush. Occasionally, we see a Telstra technician in the bush. We certainly do not see technicians in the bush from any of the private companies. After Telstra has got rid of 12 000 jobs I doubt whether a Telstra technician will be seen in the member for Merredin’s electorate or even south of Perth near the member for Albany’s electorate. Although we see them in the bush occasionally now, when 12 000 jobs have been taken out of the equation we will never see them. We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
We have learnt that Telstra intends to scrap the CDMA network and get rid of 12 000 jobs and now we find out via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that line rental charges will be increased 10-fold. People living in Perth will pay $13 for a line rental charge, and in the bush people will pay $144. John Howard did not tell us that when he said he was going to privatise Telstra. Everyone was going to be on the same page. “Trust me,” honest John said. Within weeks, we find that line rental charges will vary from $13 in Perth to $144 in the country. These are hollow promises. I am sure that members opposite are embarrassed by the actions of their federal colleagues, and that particularly the Leader of the Opposition and the temporary Deputy Leader of the Opposition are very embarrassed for their country constituents.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.