It would seem that the Federal Nationals MP for Cowper on the NSW North Coast and Shadow Communication spokesperson, Luke Hartsuyker, has been caught out yet again distorting the truth.
The political battle over NBN’s twin satellites contract was essentially confined to competing media releases by Hartsuyker and the current Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Perhaps mainstream media is also growing tired of this local politician’s blatant propaganda, as it appears that his claim barely rated a mention in the national press.
It was left to Delimiter publishing online to actually blow the whistle on the ‘satellite lie’.
That Mr. Hartsuyker persists in his shallow and obvious distortions on a range of issues indicates a low opinion of voters in his electorate whom he apparently believes are too silly to ever question his ‘facts’.
Here is Hartsuyker’s media release of 8 February 2012:
Conroy’s breathtaking hypocrisy on regional Australia
The hypocrisy of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is breathtaking, Shadow Regional Communications Minister Luke Hartsuyker said today.
This afternoon the Minister distributed a media release claiming the Coalition was abandoning regional Australia because we had the hide to question whether the Government needed to spend $620 million on two new satellites. Far from abandoning regional Australia, the Coalition had the OPEL plan which would have delivered fast broadband to 98 per cent of Australia by June 30 2009.
The OPEL contract included a mixture of technologies, including satellite. It was axed by Minister Conroy and Prime Minister Rudd in 2008, leaving in limbo the broadband needs of many regional communities. Labor also scrapped the Coalition’s $2 billion Communications Fund, which would have ensured the provision of regional telecommunications services into the future.
Given the reckless spending of this Government, the Coalition will continue to scrutinise NBN expenditure. The issue here is not about who is more committed to regional Australia’s broadband needs, but rather whether the Government is providing taxpayers with value for money. Ultimately any cost blowouts or waste will only lead to higher broadband costs for consumers. [my bolding]
This is actually what the Coalition promised when it last formed federal government:
Australia Connected is a comprehensive and complete broadband solution for Australia that involves:
· A new national high speed wholesale network : The awarding of a $600 million competitive grant will deliver a mix of fibre optic, ADSL2+ and wireless broadband platforms to rural and regional areas. This rollout has been boosted with an additional $358 million in funding to ensure coverage to 99 per cent of the population;
· A new commercial fibre optic network : Facilitating a fibre network build in cities and larger regional centres via a competitive bids process and subsequent enabling legislation; · Australian Broadband Guarantee : A safety net that ensures Australians living in the most remote or difficult to reach areas (the remaining one per cent) are entitled to a broadband subsidy of $2750 per household;
· Creation of BroadbandNow: A new one-stop consumer help centre with telephone and web information to assist consumers understand the technology options available to them and provide ready information about how to get connected; and the
· Preservation of the $2 billion Communications Fund : To ensure the funds are protected in perpetuity by legislation for the benefit of regional and rural Australians and to provide for an income stream for future upgrades. [Coalition Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan,media release,18 June 2007]
The Optus and Elders joint venture, OPEL Networks Pty Ltd (OPEL), has secured $958 million in funding from the Australian Government.
This comprises $600 million from the previously announced Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program and an additional $358 million in funding to further extend high-speed affordable broadband services to rural and regional Australians.
The OPEL network will cover 638,000 square kilometres extending across all States and Territories. OPEL will deploy 1361 broadband wireless sites and install ADSL2+ in 312 exchanges.
Optus will also activate 114 new exchanges with ADSL2+ as part of its existing commitment to provide competitive broadband services. The total number of new exchanges to be activated with ADSL2+ by OPEL and Optus will be 426.
OPEL will initially deliver wireless broadband speeds of up to 6 megabits per second (Mbps) rising to 12 Mbps by 2009 using an internationally deployed broadband wireless technology appropriately designed for Australian conditions. Broadband delivered by ADSL2+ will have speeds of up to 20 Mbps.
Through OPEL, Optus and Elders will contribute $917 million towards the project through upgraded infrastructure, cash and in kind contributions.
Paul O'Sullivan, Chief Executive, Optus said: "This is a major win for competition and choice in rural and regional Australia… [OPTUS, media release,18 June 2007]
For the record here is Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy’s media release response of 9 February 2012:
The National Party needs to come clean on their own broadband policy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said today.
"In a media release, Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, the Shadow Minister for Regional Communications, demonstrated he doesn’t understand what used to be Coalition policy, or what now masquerades as policy," Senator Conroy said.
"His claims that OPEL would have ensured more than 98 per cent of Australians had access to speeds of up to 12 Mbps are simply not true.
"Mr Hartsuyker further claims in his release that OPEL included satellite, which it did not…….
