Conroy pressured over broadband study

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is under mounting pressure to produce a
government-commissioned report into the viability of the national broadband network
(NBN).

A move by the opposition to delay debate on legislation related to the NBN until
Senator Conroy produces the $25 million implementation was narrowly defeated on
Thursday.
However, Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam, with the support of the opposition,
later successfully moved a motion demanding the communications minister release the
KPMG-McKinsey study.
He now has until 10am (AEDT) next Wednesday to do so.
Senator Conroy is likely to resist the order by claiming the document contains
commercially sensitive material.
The development came as the Senate continued debating legislation that paves the way
for the structural separation of Telstra, which the government says is needed to
improve competition in the telco sector ahead of the rollout of the NBN.
The opposition, however, says the legislation is about forcing Telstra to take part
in the rollout of the $43 billion network.
"It is quite an extraordinary attack on a major publicly listed company by the
Australian government," former opposition communications minister Nick Minchin said
on Thursday.
"Despite Senator Conroy's claims that the NBN can be built with or without Telstra
we all know that without Telstra, its customers and its network the NBN is dead in
the water."
The opposition has vowed to opposed the break-up of Telstra.
But Senator Conroy on Thursday accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of bullying
Nationals senators into voting against the legislation that calls for the break-up
of Telstra's wholesale and retail networks.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says three Nationals senators - Barnaby
Joyce, Fiona Nash and John Williams - have previously expressed support for
restructure of the telecommunications sector.
"Yet in the last few days ... they have been leant on by Tony Abbott and the
Liberals who are again dictating the line to the National party," he said.
The accusation was flatly rejected by Senator Williams.
"It's crap. I've made my own decision and no-one has leant on me anywhere in this
whole debate," he said.
Senator Williams said he did not support the break-up of Telstra because it would be
bad for regional Australia.
It's also an attack on free enterprise, he said.
"Free enterprise means you can seek wealth in anyway you wish so long as it is legal."
Senator Conroy said both the Greens and independent senator Nick Xenophon had
indicated support for the legislation, subject to the government agreeing to a
number of amendments.