A re-elected Coalition Government would waste no time putting the full privatisation of Telstra back on the agenda despite the inequity of telecommunication services in rural and regional Australia, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said today.

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Primary Industries & Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk
prim...@cabinet.qld.gov.au
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27/09/04

Mr Palaszczuk said the Coalition's regions policy lacked any definitive commitment not to pursue the full privatisation of Telstra.

"The fact is Prime Minister John Howard has already said in this election campaign that as far as his Government was concerned telecommunication services in the bush were 'up to scratch'*," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"At the 2001 Federal election, the Coalition promised not to try and sell another share in Telstra until services in the bush were fixed."

"It broke that promise, trying on two occasions to pass legislation to permit the share of the remaining 50.1% of Telstra remaining in public ownership."

Mr Palaszczuk said every Queensland Liberal and National Federal MP was party to the broken election promise with each MP voting for the Telstra (Transition to Full Private Ownership) Bill 2003. Fortunately, Labor was able to block the legislation in the Senate.

"The people of rural and regional Australia should make no mistake. If the Coalition retains power on 9 October, it will sell-off the rest of Telstra and it will do it quick smart," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"The Coalition has the legislation to sell-off Telstra ready to go. The only way to guarantee that Telstra will not be privatised is if there is a Latham Labor Government."

*ABC Radio Rural News, 6 September 2004

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