Entrenched 'realities': Labor rules out rapid large-scale upgrade of NBN if it wins government.
Labor has ruled out a rapid, large-scale upgrade of the National Broadband Network in a newly unveiled strategy that concedes there are now entrenched "realities" the party cannot overcome if it wins government in May.
The approach is a stark contrast with the original NBN model launched by the former Labor government a decade ago, which would have rolled out direct fibre connections for 93 per cent of premises.Long critical of the Coalition's replacement model that uses the existing copper-wire network and other technologies, Labor has previously promised to put more people on fibre-to-the-home connections instead of fibre-to-the-node.
"We have to be intelligent, we have to be patient, and we have to do the right analysis in order to understand what is and what is not feasible," she said. Internet service providers have pushed for cuts to wholesale prices to ease pressure on their profit margins and possibly pass on savings to customers. Labor has indicated openness to a write-down of the network's value, suggesting the revenue capacity does not support the $50 billion valuation on the books.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, Senator Fifield labelled the policy a "complete capitulation" that undermined Labor's criticisms since the Coalition was elected in 2013.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Make the best of what we have': Labor rules out sweeping NBN overhaul in new policyCommunications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said there are 'realities' Labor cannot overcome if it wins government.
Read more »
'Ticking time bomb': Optus boss rejects NBN write-down talkOptus boss Allen Lew has criticised the $50 billion NBN as a 'ticking time bomb' while rejecting industry calls for a write-down in favour of upgrading the network.
Read more »
Labor ceased listing medicines on PBS because it was poor: Cormann | Sky News AustraliaA would-be Labor government could run out of money and put every Australian at risk, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has warned in a critical analysis of the Labor Leader’s budget reply.\n\nSpeaking on Thursday, moments after Bill Shorten’s speech, Mr Cormann looked to the past and pointed out that Labor once stopped listing recommended medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme because it ran out of money.\n\nHe says now is not the time to go back to the unaffordable and ‘discredited ways’ of Labor, highlighting the Coalition’s track record of delivering $10 billion worth of new medicines on the scheme.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n\n\n
Read more »
Under Labor you can battle cancer without going broke: Shorten | Sky News AustraliaThe Opposition Leader has announced that Australians diagnosed with cancer will ‘battle without going broke’ under a would-be Labor government's $2.3 billion Medicare cancer plan.\n\nBill Shorten delivered his budget reply on Thursday night, revealing Labor’s plan to invest $600 million towards eliminating all out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic imaging such as CT scans, PET scans, mammograms, X-rays and ultrasounds.\n\nThe plan includes $433 million to cover specialist consultations for cancer patients. \n\nThe Labor Leader also announced the affordable Medicine guarantee, which would see every cancer drug recommended by independent experts listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n\n
Read more »
Medicare rebate set to rise under Labor: Catherine King | Sky News AustraliaFULL INTERVIEW: Labor Leader Bill Shorten has announced a $2.3 billion Medicare cancer plan during his budget reply speech on Thursday night, which he says is the ‘most significant investment in Medicare in a generation’.\n\nSpeaking with Sky News, Shadow Health Minister Catherine King says the rate that the Medicare rebate is currently set quite low, explaining that Labor will raise it to around $150 from about $60.\n\nMs King says Labor has had all its policies in the Medicare plan costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n\n
Read more »
Labor seeks to exploit Coalition infighting with federal election ready to kick offAn expert in political mind games, Bill Shorten preaches that a vote for stability is to change government as the political leaders prepare to end the faux campaign and replace it with a real one.
Read more »
Govt’s task is to show Labor is a ‘party of poverty: Credlin | Sky News AustraliaPeta Credlin says Labor ‘was always’ going to promise average voters that they could have it all, with more spending, less taxing and a bigger surplus.\n\nThe Sky News host notes the challenge for the Morrison government will be to demonstrate how Labor’s ‘Robin Hood taxes’ won’t just hit ‘the so-called rich’ but will ‘hurt the poor even more’, due to higher prices, lower asset values and more ‘government micro-managing of their daily lives’. \n\nMs Credlin says the Coalition’s political task is to show Labor not as the ‘party of fairness’, but the ‘party of poverty’. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Read more »
Labor to give back public school and hospital funding after Liberal cuts: Shorten | Sky News AustraliaOpposition leader Bill Shorten has delivered his budget reply, following Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s budget speech on Tuesday. \n\nMr Shorten says if elected, a Labor government will put back every dollar the Liberal government has cut from public schools and hospitals.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n\n
Read more »
Labor is weak on health: Greg Hunt | Sky News AustraliaHealth Minister Greg Hunt says he disagrees with the historic perception that health is Labor’s strong point, arguing the Opposition has a 'weak' track record in the sector. \n\nMr Hunt says when Bill Shorten was Health Minister, he stopped the listing of new medicines for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in the 2011 budget.\n\nThe Liberal MP says in contrast, the Coalition ‘actually cares’ and has allocated $40 billion to the PBS, plus added 2000 medications to the list, alongside $6 billion to Medicare to include new breast cancer scans, MRIs, PET scans. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n
Read more »