FED: Coalition introduces bill to scrutinise NBN proposal
15 Jun 2009 9:29 PM
Subject: FED: Coalition introduces bill to scrutinise NBN proposal FED: Coalition introduces bill to scrutinise NBN proposal
CANBERRA, June 15 AAP - The Greens say they'll carefully consider any proposal that might inject greater accountability into the national broadband network (NBN) process.
Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin has introduced a private members bill that would require Infrastructure Australia to assess Labor's $43 billion NBN plan.
Senator Minchin said the bill was in direct response to the "continued lack of transparency and hypocrisy of the Rudd government in relation to its single biggest infrastructure announcement."
Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam said he would consider the bill on its merits.
The fact that the government has responded to questions about the NBN in a "dismissive way" was a surprise, he said.
"This is a huge public investment and the Greens will consider any proposal to inject greater accountability and transparency into the process," Senator Ludlam said.
To date, the government has refused the coalition's calls for a cost-benefit analysis of building a fibre to the premises network.
"Infrastructure Australia was supposedly established to ensure evidence-based Government investment in infrastructure projects, yet it has been inexcusably given no role whatsoever in assessing and guiding Labor's $43 billion NBN Mark II proposal," Senator Minchin said in a statement.
As the government plans to use $2.4 billion from the Building Australia Fund (BAF) to help build the broadband network, the bill calls on Infrastructure Australia to assess the proposal based on the BAF evaluation criteria.
The criteria states that any proposal should demonstrate through a cost-benefit analysis that it is "good value for money".
"This bill is designed to ensure that some degree of proper scrutiny and due diligence is applied to a project that will put at risk billions of taxpayer dollars," Senator Minchin said.
AAP srj/kms/ht =0A
FED: Coalition introduces bill to scrutinise NBN proposal