Malcolm Turnbull gets told by one NBN lobby group in his own backyard

Hartsuyker lets the cat out of the bag on higher mobile phone costs if the Coalition wins on 7 September 2013

On 13 August 2013 Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that: If elected, a Coalition government will partner with local communities, state governments and telecommunications companies to ensure that the total new investment in black spots is far greater than our $100 million commitment.

This policy will provide $80 million for a Mobile Network Expansion Programme that will improve mobile phone coverage along major transport routes, in small communities and in locations prone to experiencing natural disasters. 

The Mobile Network Expansion Programme is expected to generate at least an additional $80 million investment from the major mobile phone carriers. 

The Coalition will also provide $20 million for a Mobile Black Spot Programme to address unique mobile coverage problems – such as locations with high seasonal demand – and deliver a targeted response.

The next day the Australian Financial Review reported that the Shadow Minister for Regional Communications and Nationals Member for Cowper here on the NSW North Coast, Luke Hartsuyker, stated that he expects major mobile phone carriers and regional communities to stump up over $100 million to build the towers.

Which would inevitably translate into higher mobile phone costs across regional and rural Australia, as state/local governments and telcos passed these costs on to consumers.

Something Opposition Leader Tony Abbott neglected to mention in his media announcement.

Dowell, George and Saffin call for Telstra to invest in digital infrastructure for Lismore

Lismore Mayor Cr Jenny Dowell, Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin and State Member for Lismore Thomas George with copies of the community petition outside Telstra’s Goonellabah Call Centre

Bipartisan call for Telstra to invest in digital infrastructure for Lismore

PAGE MP Janelle Saffin, Lismore MP Thomas George and Lismore Mayor Cr Jenny Dowell have called on Telstra to make a $3.4-million investment in digital infrastructure to compensate for closing its Goonellabah Call Centre later next month.

In a bipartisan front last Friday, the local politicians met with Telstra executives Peter Jamieson and Sue Passmore at the call centre to put forward a package of proposed initiatives and to hand over a community petition, signed by almost 6000 local residents, condemning the imminent retrenchment of 116 staff.

“First and foremost, our concerns remain very much with the affected staff and their families, and we were able to meet with staff to check on their welfare and to see whether they needed further assistance with redundancy, transfer or searching for alternative employment,” the politicians said in a joint statement.

“The call centre has been operating for 20 years and the economic impact of its closure is the direct loss of 116 local jobs, amounting to $3.4 million in salaries annually, and a flow-on impact to a further 290 local people’s jobs and incomes, amounting to about $11.9 million annually,” they said.

“Our proposal requests that Telstra CEO David Thodey and his corporation invest an additional year’s worth of salaries ($3.4 million) in a partnership with Lismore City Council to retrain affected workers, build new digital infrastructure to double or better broadband access speeds, and improve local businesses use of broadband.

“We are also asking Telstra to leave the call centre’s internal infrastructure intact to reduce any start-up costs should Lismore Council be able to attract another business to the purpose-built location.”

Ms Saffin, Mr George and Cr Dowell pointed to a recent council-funded study by the Digital Economy Group which found that the Gold Coast had far higher ratios of fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure than Lismore per head of population and by land area.

“As a regional area, we are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters – major floods, storms and bushfires -- relying on critical infrastructure to co-ordinate emergency services responses and keep people in contact during times of crisis,” they said.

“With so few towers in Lismore per head of population, the existing towers become congested easily and this is a matter of public safety and concern. We need to build community resilience wherever we can.”

Mr Thodey and his management team have been given two weeks (by Friday, October 5) to respond as to whether they will support the Lismore community with a digital infrastructure investment package.

Monday, September 24, 2012. Media Contact: Peter Ellem 0437 303 875.

Lismore City Council Digital Infrastructure Assessment Report - September 2012

Telstra CEO gets a no nonsense letter from Saffin, George and Dowell over Lismore job losses

PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, August 24, 2012.

REF: PE.24.08.12.

Mr David Thodey

Chief Executive Officer

Telstra Corporation Limited

Level 40, 242 Exhibition Street

MELBOURNE  VIC  3000.

Dear Mr Thodey,

We write as the Federal, State and local representatives for the Lismore district to formally request that you intervene and reverse Telstra’s ‘business decision’ to close its Goonellabah Call Centre on October 23 this year.

We maintain that the loss of an estimated 116 local jobs from such a closure is not only unnecessary but unacceptable, particularly when Telstra’s digital business streams are reported to be enjoying strong growth.

We seek a full explanation from you; the real reasons which led Telstra’s management team to arrive at such a cruel decision despite earlier public assurances that this particular call centre was safe.

This morning, we stood united on Lismore’s main street – Molesworth Street – to launch a community petition calling on you to intervene immediately to halt any plan to axe your highly skilled and loyal workforce in Goonellabah.

The petition further objects to Telstra abandoning its workforce in country Australia and moving jobs offshore, while recording massive profits ($3.4 billion) and awarding generous salary increases for executives.

Surely, there is a better and more respectful way to treat your Lismore staff, most of whom have to service mortgages or other financial commitments and whose families have strong ties to this community.

During this three-week consultation period regarding the closure decision, we stand ready to negotiate with yourself or your appointed executives on alternative proposals for keeping the call centre operational and profitable for Telstra.

We ask that due to the doubt and uncertainty which employees are feeling about their futures, that Telstra executives travelling to Lismore not intimidate or dissuade staff from seeking advice from CPSU officials.

We seek Telstra’s full co-operation in providing a Rapid Response Team of Federal and State agencies with immediate and unfettered access to the call centre to advise staff on various levels of support available to them.

We provide two points of contact for the Rapid Response Team being put in place:

Mr Terry Watson, Local Employment Coordinator, Richmond-Tweed & Clarence Valley Priority Area, Building Australia’s Future Workforce – 0412 320 077; email terry.watson@deewr.gov.au

Mr Craig Jenkins, Business Development Manager, NSW Trade & Investment – 0411 248 482 or 0266 226 145; email craig.jenkins@business.nsw.gov.au

Mr Watson and Mr Jenkins are experienced public servants who liaised with Telstra during the Grafton Call Centre closure in late 2010.

We are also of the firm belief that two or three weeks is not enough time for staff, who are grieving the potential loss of their livelihoods through redundancy or the upheaval of transfers, to cope with such transition.

Consequently, we ask that the consultation period be extended, in good faith, to several months to allow for a proper, more transparent analysis of all options for keeping these jobs in the Lismore district.

We understand that you have a business to run, but we are appealing to your corporate conscience to do the right thing by your staff and customers here on the Northern Rivers and avoid the kind of public relations disaster which accompanied your withdrawal from Grafton.

Yours sincerely,

Janelle Saffin MP

Federal Member for Page.

Thomas George MP

State Member for Lismore.

Cr Jenny Dowell

Mayor of Lismore City Council.

The Federal Government wants to widen its ability to spy on Australian citizens

Australian Attorney General Nicola Roxon wants to declare open season on all taxpayers, retirees, welfare recipients, people with business/home computers or email accounts and those with fixed/mobile phones.

Apparently seeking to widen the ability of six intelligence and security agencies, interception agencies, law enforcement bodies and a range of regulatory bodies such as the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink and a range of State and Territory government organisations to intercept/collect data on or surveil any individual (regardless of whether or not they are suspected of breaking the law) and conduct surveillance of or physically search the premises or belongings of any person of interest.

Ms. Roxon appears to expect all Australians to pay, for this increase in electronic data/telecommunications content collection and interference with lawful computer/phone use, through higher telco and internet service provider fees and charges.

It is no co-incidence that last Thursday was first time a director-general of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) has spoken publicly since the agency was created 60 years ago - to assure the general public that his agency was an upright, touchy feely agency dedicated to protecting the country from all manner of foes and bogey men.

Unfortunately, these assurances ring hollow for many who have had even a modicum of contact with our home-grown spies.

The Joint Committee media release:

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

MEDIA RELEASE Issued: 9 July 2012

Chair: Hon Anthony Byrne MP Deputy Chair: Hon Philip Ruddock MP

Committee to examine potential reforms of national security legislation

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has commenced an inquiry into potential reforms of national security legislation.

The Government has asked the Committee to consider a package of national security ideas comprising proposals for telecommunications interception reform, telecommunications sector security reform and Australian intelligence community legislation reform. The Inquiry will include examination of:

·         Lawful access to telecommunications, to ensure that investigative tools are not lost as telecommunications providers change their business practices and begin to delete data more regularly.

·         Safeguards and privacy protections, including clarifying the roles of the Commonwealth and state ombudsmen in overseeing telecommunications interception by law enforcement agencies.

·         An authorised intelligence operations scheme, to afford ASIO officers the same protections which currently apply to officers of the Australian Federal Police for authorised operations.

Among a range of other matters, the Committee will consult on measures to address security risks posed to the telecommunications sector, and whether the Government needs to institute obligations on the Australian telecommunications industry to protect their networks from unauthorised interference.

The Chair of the Committee, the Hon Anthony Byrne MP, has welcomed the referral of the inquiry, stating that: “It is vital that our security laws keep pace with the rapid developments in technology”. Commenting on the importance of public input into the Parliament’s examination of the potential reforms, Mr Byrne said the Committee’s inquiry will give the public an opportunity to have a say in the development of new laws in the critical area of national security.

The Committee invites interested persons and organisations to make submissions addressing the terms of reference by Monday, 6 August 2012. The full terms of reference are available on the Committee’s website at: www.aph.gov.au/pjcis.

The Government has provided the Committee with a discussion paper which accompanies the terms of reference and describes the reform proposals. The discussion paper is available on the Committee’s web site. Submitters are strongly encouraged to have regard to the discussion paper in the preparation of submissions for the Committee’s inquiry.

For more information, visit the Committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/pjcis or contact the Committee Secretariat on 02 6277 2360.

Telephone: 02 6277 2360 PO BOX 6021 Facsimile: 02 6277 2067 PARLIAMENT HOUSE Email: pjcis@aph.gov.au CANBERRA ACT 2600 Website: www.aph.gov.au/pjcis

The second half of 2012 is digital changeover time for NSW North Coast television reception

For more information go to http://www.digitalready.gov.au/NNSW.aspx

Electronic Frontier Foundation soldiers on with Jewel v National Security Agency et al

This case is one of many arising from claims that the federal government, with the assistance of major telecommunications companies, engaged in widespread warrantless eavesdropping in the United States following the September 11, 2001, attacks. At issue in this appeal is whether Carolyn Jewel and other residential telephone customers (collectively “Jewel”) have standing to bring their statutory and constitutional claims against the government for what they describe as a communications dragnet of ordinary American citizens.

In light of detailed allegations and claims of harm linking Jewel to the intercepted telephone, internet and electronic communications, we conclude that Jewel’s claims are not abstract, generalized grievances and instead meet the constitutional standing requirement of concrete injury. Nor do prudential considerations bar this action…… [Jewel v NSA et al, No. 10-15616 3:08-cv-04373- VRW M:06-cv-01791-VRW]

Electronic Frontier Foundation article on 29 December 2011:

Justices Find that Spied-On Telephone Customers Have the Right to Sue

San Francisco - The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today blocked the government's attempt to bury the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF's) lawsuit against the government's illegal mass surveillance program, returning Jewel v. NSA to the District Court for the next step.

The court found that Jewel had alleged sufficient specifics about the warrantless wiretapping program to proceed. Justices rejected the government's argument that the allegations about the well-known spying program and the evidence of the Folsom Street facility in San Francisco were too speculative.

"Since the dragnet spying program first came to light, we have been fighting for the chance to have a court determine whether it is legal," said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "Today, the Ninth Circuit has given us that chance, and we look forward to proving the program is an unconstitutional and illegal violation of the rights of millions of ordinary Americans.".

Also today, the court upheld the dismissal of EFF's other case aimed at ending the illegal spying, Hepting v. AT&T, which was the first lawsuit against a telecom over its participation in the dragnet domestic wiretapping. The court found that the so-called "retroactive immunity" passed by Congress to stop telecommunications customers from suing the companies is constitutional, in part because the claims remained against the government in Jewel v. NSA………

Today's decision comes nearly exactly six years after the first revelations of the warrantless wiretapping program were published in the New York Times on December 16, 2005. EFF will now move forward with the Jewel litigation in the Northern District of California federal court. The government is expected to raise the state secrets privilege as its next line of defense but this argument has already been rejected in other similar cases.

Jewel v NSA et al  full opinion 29 December 2011

Telstra fails to inform bundled account customers in writing of major privacy breach

This is the full text of the only correspondence from Telstra and BigPond sent on 13 December 2011 to a ‘bundled account’ customer whose name, address, phone number and account password/s may have been amongst the hundreds of thousands potentially publicly available on the Internet for an unspecified period.

See any mention of the breach or of this customer’s possible vulnerability to hacking/identity theft and advice on how to protect their account?

No, I didn’t either.

As you're aware some of our online services were unavailable from late Friday 9th to late Saturday 10th December due to an earlier internal systems issue.

I want to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience you may have experienced this weekend because of the disruption.

Services are now back up again for the majority of our customers, and your BigPond services should be working as normal.

The decision to temporarily reduce access to these services was not taken lightly and I know that our actions resulted in a poor online experience for you and was a source of frustration.

So if you have any technical difficulties after logging into your BigPond email account please see our online help, visit us on CrowdSupport or just call us on 133 933. We’re here to help any time.

Once again, I apologise for the disruption to your service and thank you for your patience.

Best regards,

Peter Jamieson
Executive Director, Customer Service

Privacy Breach: Telstra was going to tell its customers, when?

Image from The Age 10 December 2011

http://telstratccmail.custhelp.com/app/bundles_search/

Sensible Telstra customers will be changing their passwords promptly as a first measure after reading this in The Australian this morning:

TELSTRA faces the wrath of the federal Privacy Commissioner after leaving details of potentially millions of customers exposed on the web, reportedly including their user names and passwords.

The details were exposed on a search page used by Telstra customer service agents that was left unprotected and openly accessible on the web.

The page, titled "Telstra Bundles request search", was reportedly discovered by a user of the community broadband forum Whirlpool.

Telstra hastily took down the site after it became aware of the breach yesterday afternoon, but not before computer security experts showed it could be used to access customer details including their account numbers, broadband packages, technician visits, and in some cases their email user names and individual passwords.

Media reports suggested credit check details (but not credit card details) were also accessible, but that has not been confirmed by Telstra.

Telstra said it was uncertain how many customers' details were potentially breached.

"It's unsure at this stage -- it appears to be limited to bundled customers but we don't know how many," a Telstra spokeswoman said.

In its annual report for this year, Telstra said it had sold 659,000 new product bundles in the year to June 30.

Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has been made aware of the breach and a full investigation and report will be completed as soon as possible.

The Telstra spokeswoman said the carrier's priority was to close the security gap.

The company would move as quickly as possible to notify customers of the breach and maintain transparency in reporting details of the incident….

Whirlpool forum regular exposes this privacy fail (emanating from what looks suspiciously like an internal company database whose creation and management may have been outsourced) at 1.08pm 9 December 2011:

Ugh, well, after a series of good experiences dealing with Telstra over the last eighteen months it feels like we're back in the bad old days. Tl;dr: Telstra is an enormous corporation with a seemingly endless number of autonomous departments, none of which knows what any of the others is doing. Telstra have leaked customer information onto the Web. I signed up for the $78 deal on 24th November—hadn't previously had a bundle on my account, or a Bigpond connection. Got my bill by email yesterday and, sure enough, the discount wasn't applied. First thing I did was to jump onto online chat. Had to wait over 10 minutes for a consultant (which was fine because I could basically just get on with my work). He didn't know anything about the $78 offer, but I gave him the link, it felt like he was about to apply the discount both to my current bill and to future bills, but then he told me that I would have to ring 1800 330 192. OK. I rang 1800 330 192 and after some humming and hawing the guy there gave me the $13 credit on my bill for this month ($10 plus the discount for the pro-rata initial period), but said that they don't in fact know anything about the $78 deal, and that I would have to ring the 'Bundles' department at 1800 008 851. Incidentally, if you do a Google search for that number, you get a very interesting result. Um, Telstra, that's customer information just sitting out on the open Web… That page also seems to suggest that he shouldn't have given me the number, but should have put me through…….

Despite this unforgivable privacy breach, I'm told Telstra is not making it easy for customers to access their accounts to change passwords as its My BigPond is currently offline due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems.

To Voda, or not to Voda, that is the question

Natalie O'Brien writing in The Age on 9 January 2011 Vodafone mobile records leaked:

THE personal details of millions of Vodafone customers, including names, home addresses, driver's licence numbers and credit card details, have been available on the web in what is described as an ''unbelievable'' lapse in security by the mobile phone giant.

The Sunday Age is aware of criminal groups paying for the private details of some Vodafone customers to blackmail them.

Other people have apparently obtained logins to check their spouse's communications.

The personal details, accessible from any computer because they are kept on an internet site rather than Vodafone's internal system, include numbers dialled or texted, plus the time and location of calls or texts.

The full extent of the privacy breach is unknown, but The Sunday Age has learnt that possibly thousands of people have logins that can be passed around and used to gain access to the accounts of about 4 million Vodafone clients.

Michael Fraser, head of the Australian Communications Law Centre at the University of Technology Sydney, said it seemed to be a major breach of the company's privacy obligations and ''unbelievably slack security''.

Another brickbat for Telstra Customer Service

Telstra continues to elicit negative perceptions……………….

An ongoing Telstra torment

I CAN'T begin to explain the torment I've experienced this past 12 months at the hands of Telstra.

I must say though my feeling of futility and stupidity was somewhat allayed when reading our glorious Bonnie's letter to you on December 20.

Bonnie is a business woman I admire and it brought me great relief to know that someone of her capability and knowledge of the world of communications could also struggle in her dealings with this once great telco.

I could detail in excess of 20 examples of monumental Telstra stuff ups involving my personal and company phones and internet connections over this year, however, the one that brought the most chuckles and pain was their recent disconnection of my business phones.

Without detailing the events leading up to this - which were quite bizarre and confusing to say the least -a day arrived, a Thursday, about four weeks ago when all my telephones - the business line, the EFTPOS line and all three company mobiles were dead.

When I tried to dial it told me I could only dial the billing number on my bill -which I did but it still didn't let me ring out.

So in frustration and fear I tried the Telstra business number - miraculously I got through. I explained I had called the billing number on my account as instructed -but had not been able to get through.

The only remark then was they were aware the wrong number is printed on those bills -no apology, no explanation.

The woman I spoke to told me that I hadn't paid my account which I explained I had in dribs and drabs over BPAY -and that Telstra had only just reconciled all the errors of the past 12 months.

The woman explained that I needed to pay another $473 if I wanted the phones reconnected.

I told her I simply didn't have that money on the day and asked her how she expected me to pay this amount given my customers couldn't call to order nor could they pay with EFTPOS and nor could they buy any pre-paid telephone or internet. She didn't care.

She said to call back when I paid and they would arrange to have my phones reconnected.

The irony was as she went to end the conversation she asked me which number was the best one to contact me on?

I said: "Are you serious? You've disconnected every single line I have."

I managed to get an email through to my son, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, he paid the account via BPAY and emailed me the payment details.

I actually have my own designated Telstra person - with an email address and direct number - as a result of the Telstra trauma

I've experienced this year. I couldn't call that person because the phones were disconnected - and as it turned out he was on an RDO anyway.

I emailed the payment information immediately to this chap, who returned to work on the Friday and he gave instructions that my phones be reconnected immediately.

Well immediately in Telstra terms was the following Tuesday morning.

My store is open 6am-6Pm every day of the week and my business number is used to book appointments for the acupuncturist and remedial masseuse who work from the clinic I've established at the rear of my store.

So almost six days with no phones, no EFTPOS and no sales of pre-paid internet or phone.

Over that weekend I needed to speak to my father.

I had a brainwave -I'll use the telephone box outside my store - hmmm ...it was out of order.

But the most painful part of this whole experience was that on the Sunday, December 5, my baby boy turned 26. He promised to call me from Tarin Kowt where he is currently serving as an Australian soldier.

For the first time in those 26 years I didn't get to speak to my baby boy on his birthday.

Thank you again Telstra -a most memorable year.

Oh, and some advice, stop spending buckets of money on sending out copious volumes of expensive marketing materials and direct that budget towards improving your customer service.

URSULA TUNKS

Managing Director, Premium ldeas and Marketing

[The Daily Examiner,letter to the editor,28 December 2010]

A 'Bah, Humbug!' for Telstra from one irate customer

Hanging up on Telstra is still on the cards on the NSW North Coast if this 20 December 2010 featured letter to The Daily Examiner editor is any indication:

Click on image to enlarge

Telstra gives out 23,500 silent number details to perfect strangers - says Oopps!

Telstra advising customers of mail-out issue

Media Release 27 October 2010

Telstra will today start contacting customers affected by a recent mail-merge error involving a letter explaining upcoming fixed line price changes.

An error in a mailing list has meant around 220,000 letters with incorrect addresses were mailed out, including 23,500 letters involving customers with silent lines.

As soon as the error was identified, the mail out was stopped.

The letters, which were delivered to the wrong address, went to consumer customers and some business customers and contained the customer name, their telephone plan, phone number and, if applicable, reference to their Telstra Pensioner Discount.

No billing or call record information is contained within these letters.

The error concerns nearly 10% of more than 2.3 million letters sent to customers in the past week.

Telstra is taking this issue very seriously. An urgent and thorough investigation is underway to examine how this occurred and to stop it happening again.

The company is directly contacting affected customers to apologise for the error.

Customers who have received multiple letters are requested to securely destroy them or return to sender.

The Privacy Commissioner, regulatory authorities and consumer groups are being provided with information to assist customers who may call them and Telstra will cooperate fully with these bodies on this matter.

Any concerned customer should call Telstra on 1800 307 987.

Around the traps in the last few days.....

A bit of free promotion APN didn't need?
With the euthanasia debate heating up, I was amused to see that APN Outdoor received a bit of free promotion on the nightly news last week after one of its outdoor billboards advertising in Yagoona ran a large advert promoting the pro-choice position. Probably won't please the bishops.

Fine print on the back of that NBN envelope?
NATIONAL Broadband Network users will not be able to use their telephones in a power failure unless they pay for a back-up system.
Telstra copper lines will be replaced by NBN fibre as part of the $11 billion deal with the federal government.
NBN Co has a hands-off approach to ensuring lines will be available at all times.
Customers will rely on the fibre network for broadband and fixed telephone services. Each home and business will need a network termination unit for power.
The unit needs a standard 240 volt, 10 amp power outlet and without that it cannot work.
If the unit loses power, telephone lines will not work unless NBN users have a back-up battery system, an optional item under NBN Co guidelines.
The peak electrical body says NBN Co and the government must ensure service providers guarantee basic telephone services or people's lives could be in danger in emergencies.
The company says it will not supply, install or maintain the battery back-up. That means network users will have to purchase a back-up unit and battery, and ensure the unit is next to a power outlet.
Users must buy the back-up unit from their NBN service provider. The 12V 7.2Ah sealed lead acid battery for the back-up costs about $50. {The Australian 22nd October 2010}

NSW water raiders using #agchatoz to tweet their displeasure....
nswirrigators: 464 pages of Volume Two of #basinplan just released online. Saving the environment by ruining a forest? http://tinyurl.com/3x4umuw #agchatoz
nswirrigators: 3.30pm on the day #basinplan volume two was meant to be released and nothing yet. These people do not learn... #agchatoz #abcrural

A victim of friendly fire
"This is a debate that Australians need to have about the future of banking, and the banks now are clearly ignoring the government," Mr Hockey has said. "The Australian people need to know where the banking system is going."....
Liberal MP Don Randall launched into a withering attack on Mr Hockey's suggestion, labelling a "typical lunatic fringe idea" from the Greens - until it was pointed out that it came from the Coalition's top money man. "It's really going to have a negative effect on our economy ... it's really a worry". {news.com.au 21st October 2010}

Ad astra takes on Tony
Take the attack on the Government by Tony Abbott over the contemporary court martial of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. In a particularly contemptible assault he accused the Government of ‘stabbing the soldiers in the back’ and not giving them the support they deserved, of abandoning these men fighting as they are for their country. It was a powerful and aggressive strike. Yet what did the mild-mannered Stephen Smith say? He said Abbott’s words were ‘unfortunate’. Too right they were, but in the hurly burley of politics, words hardly like to make headlines, hardly likely to effectively rebut the Abbott charges.
I would have preferred him to say to Abbott: “How dare you have the temerity to make such outrageous accusations. It was the Howard Government, in which you were a minister that created the process for such trials of servicemen thought to be in contravention of the rules of engagement, and it had bipartisan support from Labor. You know perfectly well that in this process Government has no part to play, nor have politicians or politics. You know that this Government wants the process YOU established to bring about a considered outcome and that it wishes to play no part in it. Yet you come along with this completely illegitimate accusation which you know is dishonest, in order to score political points. And you were only too willing to enlist Alan Jones to promulgate this deception, something he was only too ready to do. Worse still, you allowed him, without contradiction, to denigrate the female prosecutor for laying the charges, even although you knew that she was acting completely in accordance with the process the Howard Government established. How dare you behave in this disgracefully disingenuous way, cast aspersions on those involved, and the Government too, although it is NOT involved. This is worse even that the usual low standards of political discourse which you employ. You are a disgrace.” {The Political Sword 22nd October 2010}

Too much fiction in Pollieville, U.K.?
A BRITISH MP enraged her constituents and her party after letting slip that her blog, which tells people how hard she works, is "70 per cent fiction".
Nadine Dorries, a Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire in southern England, made the admission to investigators during a sleaze inquiry that cleared her of abusing the Government's expenses system but found that she misled voters. {news.com.au 22nd October 2010}

Public relations Telstra-style falls flat with customer

A NSW North Coast reader sent this letter on to me with a wry observation about "a caring and compassionate Telstra".

I am astounded at what can only be described as the arrogance of this national telecommunications giant asserting in the letter that "we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs" - when around 180 local people will be looking for work in a region where unemployment runs well above the national and state average and an individual is likely to be out of work for at least a year before finding regular employment (usually on a casual or part-time basis).

This is a recent Keep Australia Working Regional Employment Plan assessment of prospects in the Richmond-Tweed and Clarence Valley:

In April 2010, the unemployment rate for the priority employment area was 8.1 per cent, higher than the April seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent. Moreover, the youth unemployment rate for the same period was 12.7 per cent, compared with the national average of 11.7 per cent.
The participation rate in the region has decreased to 51.1 per cent as of April 2010, well below the national average of 65.4 per cent.
The average unemployment duration for job seekers in this region is longer than the national average (43 weeks compared with 34 weeks nationally). This represents a significant barrier to employment given factors such as loss of skills and motivation. The region is also characterised by well‐below‐average levels of educational attainment.

Transcript of the TELSTRA letter:

7th October 2010

Telstra Country Wide
North Coast NSW

[Name and address redacted for privacy reasons]

Thank you for your letter regarding Telstra's call centre consolidation and the potential impacts in Grafton and the Clarence Valley. I appreciate your concern for our staff and the community.

There is never a good time for such decisions and they are never easy. Please be assured that Telstra has taken into consideration feedback from affected employees and acknowledges the representations made by the community.

Like any organisation, Telstra must continue to make changes to remain competitive in a fast-changing market. Nonetheless, Telstra will continue to maintain a local presence in Grafton and the wider North Coast region in Telstra Country Wide, through our field workforce, and in our business and retail stores.

Over coming weeks, we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs. We will also support our people throughout the process with access to our employee assistance program and relocation assistance. Redundancy packages are also available and are among the most generous offered in Australia.

I hope that this explanation will go some way to reassuring you that we have explored every option in looking to continue our business call centre presence in Grafton before making a final decision.

Sincerely,

Michael Sharpe

General Manager

Telstra Country Wide

Michael.Sharpe@team.telstra.com

TELSTA CORPORATION LIMITED (ABN 33 OSI 775 556) I P.O. Box 1123 Lismore NSW 2480 P 1800 687 8291

Telstra tries to close the gate behind those bolting brumbies

In the Clarence Valley on the NSW North Coast Telstra customer satisfaction is probably at an all time low and, in a clear case of karmic retribution, some customers are telling me that they will be abandoning their home and business accounts as soon as current contracts expire because this national telecommunications company is not supporting the community and local economy.

So it was with some amusement that I read the following in The Herald-Sun on Thursday 30 September 2010:

AFTER years of appalling service Telstra has finally conceded the customer is always right.
In a major turnaround, Telstra chief David Thodey yesterday pledged to lift rock-bottom customer satisfaction levels.
Under a $1 billion plan already under way, Telstra intends to drastically reduce complaints and resolve problems on a first-call basis.
In recent months Telstra has scrapped a $2.20 "administration fee" and shelved charges for calls to Telstra's help desk for service and support from home and mobile phones.
Some "nuisance fees" will also become a thing of the past, with Big Pond customers no longer having to pay for extra email addresses.
And in another break with the past, Mr Thodey declared there would be no flashy advertising campaigns, instead spending the money to change staff attitudes.
"What we will be focused on is changing the culture of this company, changing the way we interact with customers and giving a different experience," Mr Thodey said.
Staff are already being sat down to watch a short film that Telstra marketing chief Kate McKenzie says will teach them to stop "lecturing to the crowd" - "Something we've been guilty of in the past," the film's narrator says.
Ms McKenzie adds: "We don't want to shout at our customers, we want to have a dialogue with them."

The day before the newspaper article I received a copy of this email:

From: [redacted]
Sent:Wednesday, 29 September 2010 8:53 AM
To: 'nswtcw@team.telstra.com'; Telstra - Susan.Passmore (susan.passmore@team.telstra.com)
Cc: [redacted]
Subject: Attention Ms Sue Passmore
Importance: High

Ms Passmore

I am totally dismayed (no, disgusted!) by Telstra's decision to close its Grafton call centre.

It seems loyalty counts for nothing – only the almighty dollar counts!

Hence, I now hold serious doubts about remaining as a Telstra customer.

Please forward to me at my postal address (below) the relevant information, papers, forms, etc associated with closing my account for all Telstra services associated with my phone number and address.

[Name and address redacted for privacy reasons]

UPDATE:

TELSTRA shares crashed to a new low yesterday as the telco tried to calm staff concerns over speculation thousands of jobs would be cut.
It is believed to be part of a three-year plan to simplify the business and strip costs to bolster dwindling earnings.
Shares in Telstra fell 6c to $2.62 as David Thodey's strategy to revitalise its lumbering business failed to win over investors and as speculation on massive job cuts permeated the market.
In an internal memo, Telstra staff were told to expect more job cuts but to remain focused on improving the business.
[The Australian on 1 October 2010, as Telstra share price continues to reach record lows]

Telstra continues down the path to irrelevance as Thodey tries to woo MPs with canapés & cocktails

Historical share price table from Telstra website

Market share not what it used to be, share price in a downward spiral since 1999 and reaching a record low recently, dividends not as golden as they used to be, profit margins getting slimmer, a company profile which is often a public relations nightmare - and now national telecommunications 'giant' Telstra has added insult to injury by trying to lobby a federal MP who just happens to have seen Thodey's razor gang at work in her own electorate.

This is the Member for Page's response to David 'let them eat cake' Thodey in a media release on 28 September 2010:

Saffin condemns Telstra decision to close Call Centre

Page MP Janelle Saffin said Telstra Business has today shown its contempt for its employees and for Regional Australia with its decision to close the Grafton Call Centre on November 23.

Ms Saffin said with this move Telstra missed an opportunity to turn around public opinion and show it can be a good corporate citizen.

"By ignoring the unprecedented local campaign to save the local Telstra jobs, Telstra has made it pretty clear how much it values us here in the regions.

"The organisation has chosen to ignore its employees, the union, the Mayor, and State and Federal representatives and about 6000 local people who signed a petition asking to keep the centre open.

"Telstra will now find it has very poor standing in the local community and faces the loss of a lot of local business.

"This decision shows a total lack of imagination. Telstra couldn't see that expanding their operations in this region could have been a cost saving.

"I note that CEO David Thodey regularly talks about Telstra's new push to improve customer service, but the Corporation somehow believes that the best way to improve customer service is to cut jobs.

"Today in Parliament all MPs received an invitation to cocktails with Mr Thodey in Canberra next month.

"I have answered that along with more than 6000 people in the Clarence Valley, I want the 108 jobs in Grafton and not the canapés and cocktails.

"Today I have lodged a Notice of Motion in the Parliament calling for the condemnation of this appalling decision.

Truth is the first casualty in Senator Nash's media releases

When Janelle Saffin was first elected as the Federal Member for Page in November 2007 she hit the ground running. Very early on she began to actively lobby on behalf of residents in her wide and diverse electorate.

In January 2008 Ms. Saffin was lobbying the Communications Minister to delay shutting down the CDMA network because of residents' complaints concerning bad reception from Telstra's newly introduced Next G and, in 2009 she and the Member for Braddon were instrumental in making Telstra backdown over its introduction of yet another service charge - this time for paying accounts over-the-counter or by post.

So my mouth quite literally fell open when I came across this 15 September 2010 media release from Fiona Nash. A Nationals senator who obviously has political doublespeak down pat as she reverses the order of events and attempts to write Ms. Saffin out of the very campaign she started in partnership with Clarence Valley residents and local media.

Follow Cansdell's Telstra lead, Nash urges Saffin

Telstra's decision to axe 108 business call centre jobs from Grafton is short-sighted and wrong, the NSW Nationals Senator, Fiona Nash, said.

Senator Nash, who's the Nationals' Duty Senator for Page, added she'd be joining Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell's campaign to have the decision reversed and wants to see Page MP Janelle Saffin follow the Nationals' lead.

"As Steve has shown time and time again, the job of a local MP is not about rubber stamping city decisions by your party bosses but fighting for better outcomes for your local community," she said.

"I have today written to Telstra management, asking them to consult with the local community and suggesting a proper review would likely find it is in the best interests of the company to expand rather than axe its operations in the Clarence.

"This is a very bad look for Telstra and a very bad look for Labor at a time when both are media-spinning their supposed commitment to regional Australia.

"I am a frequent visitor to Grafton so I know it is a high-unemployment area bursting with talent and begging to grow, given a fair chance.

"Steve Cansdell is right on the mark when he says a better decision would be to move call centre jobs from Brisbane and Melbourne to Grafton rather than the other way around."

Nash's advisors and staff need to have a quiet word with her, because she is fast making herself a laughing stock on the NSW North Coast.

How many government requests for data has Google Australia received so far this year?

How's Australia running in the government spying & censorship stakes out on the Google digital race track?
Google Transparency Report's latest 2010 numbers crunch to show only the USA, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have more government requests for info on digital citizens than Oz.
Unlike the second half of last year, an Oz guvmint hasn't yet requested the disappearing of a blog.

Australia January to June 2010:

200 data requests

14 removal requests, for a total of 639 items

92.9% of removal requests fully or partially complied with

• Geo (except Street View)
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed


• Web Search
• 7 court orders to remove content
• 316 items requested to be removed


• YouTube
• 2 court orders to remove content
• 2 non-court order requests to remove content
• 7 items requested to be removed


• Groups
• 1 court orders to remove content
• 314 items requested to be removed


• Gmail
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed

Google's Australian traffic from 1st January to 20th September 2010:

Do your thing with the mouse to make graph grow