After the high drama that was the 2010 Australian Federal Election, things are starting to settle down into a sense of normality. Well, as normal as you can get with a minority government, anyway. But the news relevant to technogeeks like yourselves is that filter-loving and NBN-dishwasher creator Senator Stephen Conroy still has his BCDE portfolio, while across the floor on the opposition side, Malcolm Turnbull has risen up as his new political nemesis.
Turnbull was a loud voice in the opposition’s election campaigning on matters of IT, and given his history as one of the founders of OzEmail, his words are going to hold a lot more than those of the completely ineffectual Tony Smith, who held the shadow role before him.
But Turnbull’s already come out swinging against the NBN. Given that national broadband was one of the main election issues, and one of the key reasons the independents sided with Labor to form a minority government, it’s an interesting approach from the opposition. But it’s certainly going to make the next 18 months an interesting time for techno-politics.
Oh, and Kate Lundy, the MP we campaigned so hard for to take over from Conroy, is now advising the PM on matters of Digital Productivity. While that doesn’t necessarily sound like a lot, the emphasis this government seems to be placing on technology is a huge step forward.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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TJDW
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:26 PMWell it’s no surprised ConBoy kept his job. He’s loved by just about everybody within the Labor party itself, just nowhere else. In fact, he didn’t just keep his job – he got a promotion, so now he has more power than he did before.
In any case, it hardly makes any difference. The filter can’t go anywhere at present, what with Bandt and Oakshott in the House of Reps both pledging to block it (not to mention the fact that about 75+% of next year’s Senate is against it), and while I found Turnbull to be an utterly arrogant knob while he was Liberal Leader, I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with his statements about the filter. Besides which, it’s nice to have a Communications Minister (or shadow minister in this case) that actually UNDERSTANDS the ICT portfolio. Now if only the Libs would just stop moaning about the NBN. You don’t need a cost-benefit analysis! What? Are you saying that within the next 8 years that it takes to build the fibre network all of us will just stop using the net?
Nathan
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 5:21 PMYeah TJDW, haven’t you heard? The internet is being turned off to make way for a cheaper version without fibre. lawl
maddogeco
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:47 PMTurnbull shouldnt try and stop the nbn just make sure its as cost efficient as possible. no doubt there will be a look of poeple trying to get a fast dollar out of the install
Josh
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 2:03 PMTurnbull wasnt one of the creators, he simply invested in it and was chair of the board for a few years.
Chris
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 4:44 PMTurnbull will not be Conroy’s nemesis nor the NBN’s nemesis. He has been given this job by Abbott as payback. Turnbull knows that the NBN is an excellent infrastructure job and that the Opposition’s policy is a load of codswallop. Turnbull is having to prosecute a case that he doesn’t believe in and is being set up by Abbott to fail.
Kroo
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 6:10 PMNobody’s been able to clearly state how much it will cost me to get connected and how much it will cost per month. All great to have a NBN but can I afford it? One polly slipped up and said it could cost $3000 to connect and $150 per month but then got shushed. NBN at what cost? Nobody wants to say, why?
nick
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7:11 PMyou do realise that if it were to be $3000 to connect then nobody would actually connect? they’re not getting rid of the copper network altogether
Adam
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7:43 PMUm the plans are already out there? It’s not even close to $3000 to connect or $150 a month
iiNet:
http://www.iinet.net.au/fibre/plans.html
Internode:
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/fibre_to_the_home/nbn_plans/
Not as competitive as the latest DSL2+ plans, but still affordable and bound to improve quickly. Oh, and the speed is bound to be better…
Kroo
Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 11:48 AM$159 oer month for 100mbps. Exactly what I quoted. Now, the big omission is, what does it cost to have fibre optic cable connected to my house??? The plan you quoted assumes you have fibre to the home. It’s a data plan not a connection plan. Why haven’t the government been up front with the costings to the individual? Even if I don’t want to have or can’t afford to have fibre optic, I still have to pay for the network through my taxes. Then they want to sell it to the highest bidder? Watch the cost go through the roof just like power prices have under private hands.
Kroo
Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 11:52 AMUM, btw, the Tasmanian model has been heavily subsidised to get the project up and running, little know, or conveniently ignored fact. Unless you’re a dole bludger, you WILL pay even if you don’t have it. $43 billion+ doesn’t come out of thin air. So fail mate, fail.
iwanttodobadthingstoyourunicorn
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 8:00 PMKroo has an excellent point. What good is a Rolls Royce system if the average wage earner will have to pay Rolls Royce costs to access it? How many of us will be able to afford that?
This is the real probel that the opposition have argued on. No one has said that this isn’t a great system – but what is in question is whether we can afford it when we are trying to deal with the record levels of debt that Labour have already saddled us with.
matt
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 11:43 PMnever let facts get in the way of politics…
http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1496/PDF/01_Debt.pdf
RECORD debt you say?? (its a bit out of date, but I believe it currently stands at 17%GDP)
and as others have already made clear: IT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE IN TAS AND YOU CAN BUY IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER INTERNET!
now, something other than baseless regurgitation of liberal spin:
I heard that labor has actually modified the NBN plan to be alot cheaper, and more like the liberals. basically, in areas where competition will be fine (in the cities), NBN co would just lay the backbone and it would be up to the telcos to do the rest. but out in the country, where the telcos CBF, NBN co would deal with everyone directly, wiring them up and making sure they all get the NBN goodness without having to rely on a telcos and competition. it was floated that the real cost, not including the already done telstra deal (whatever that was) would now be around 11bn.
any comments?
Kroo
Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 12:07 PMYou can spin figures any way you want, the fact remains Australia pays over $100 million dollars in debt interest every day. That wasn’t an issue before the throwing of money everywhere.
As for the Tasmanian model, I’ll repeat the fact. The Tasmanian “experiment” has been fully subsidised by the government. That means, the cost of rollout was absorbed by the Australian public. Smoke and mirrors. The Full NBN won’t be. Costs will be recouped by the household and the subsequent sale to private interests. Would you want a single company to hold the single biggest public infrastructure in Australia’s history?
Again, if it’s the best thing since sliced bread, then why aren’t the full costs to a household being stated.? Surely if they can cost a $43 billion infrastructure rollout, they would know how much it will cost for each home? Or is there something to hide.
Politics isn’t a team sport. If you’re prepared to follow blindly and not ask the important questions then we all pay!!
Christian
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 9:26 PMexcuse me Nick, a question…
would you have to rewire your house with fibre to get access to the NBN if it were built or would current copper wires in the wall be compatible?
say from the pit in the footpath to my house or on of my telephone ports etc…what would be needed?
I too am worried about cost of all aspects of this idea
matt
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 11:30 PMyes… obviously if you want fiber to the home… someone is going have to ACTUALLY RUN fiber to your home…
I don’t see why it would be any bigger deal than getting cable…
Tezz
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 12:21 PMfiber optic wire is a lot more expensive than cable wire for a start…
Tim
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 8:34 AMDespite his well-documented arrogance, Turnbull is one of the most talented operators on either side of politics in Australia and, importantly, has shown he is capable of taking a principled stand on issues whether or not his party agrees.
I suspect his new role will find him keeping both sides of politics in check and this can only be a good thing.
FakeSteveConroy
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 8:47 AMI’m afraid all of you are going to have to be investigated by the AFP. It is obvious by your objection to the filter that every single one of you is a pedophile.
I will not stand by while your scams and spams hurt our children, who are innocently sitting at the portals.
End transmission.
James Mac
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 1:33 PMAnyone see Conroy’s comment on Turnbulls appointment?
“Having an iPhone app doesn’t make you a tech expert”.
If Turnbull can at least turn his on and off, he’s a step ahead of Conroy.
Rex
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 9:25 PMNote to Labor Party. Love you work. Conroy? Weakest link.
Kroo
Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 12:36 PMAnybody wanting some questions answered without political spin from either side would do well to read this information.
http://www.hinterlandvoice.com.au/fibre-optic-cable-is-not-the-way-to-go-leonce-kealy