Opposition Delaying Telstra Separation Bill By Being Douches

 title=Currently in the Senate is a bill to force the separation of Telstra’s wholesale and retail arms. The Labor government desperately wanted to have the legislation passed by last night, even going so far as to make concessions to independent Senator Nick Xenephon in order to get him to vote on their side. But the opposition have pulled the douche card, using stalling tactics to delay the vote until Monday.

The problem with delaying the vote is that all the politicians were supposed to pack up and go home today. According to the SMH, by forcing the vote to be delayed until Monday, the opposition have essentially just cost the taxpayer “hundreds of thousands of dollar”.

The Labor government needs the Telstra separation bill to go through so that Telstra’s role in the NBN is assured. Obviously this is the main reason the Opposition has delayed the vote until next week, as they try and convince the Independent senators to change their minds.

But the issue here is that for a party who spends so much time talking about the cost to taxpayers with an infrastructure investment to delay a vote on an issue at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars (and according to this Computerworld article, the starting cost is around $500,000) to the taxpayer is the epitome of douchieness.

At least it should provide plenty of food for thought for your questions for Malcolm Turnbull

[SMH]