Pointing out that 66 percent of the general population, and 50 percent of the business community, were against the sale, Budde estimated it would take an injection of AU$5 billion into telecommunications infrastructure before privatisation could even be considered.
-It is ridiculous that we are talking about our plans to provide voice services to rural communities, that is the sort of thing they are talking about in China and India," Budde said. -It is like we are discussing horse tracks when we should be creating highways."
Budde went on to say that a third of the copper based telecommunications infrastructure in Australia would not support broadband services, and that a fully privatised Telstra would be under no compulsion to provide the necessary infrastructure for such services.
-Only three countries within the OECD have fully privatised telecommunications sector," Budde said. -You only privatise your telecommunications sector if you are desperate for the money."
At the very least, Budde insisted that money from such a sale be earmarked to provide the infrastructure needed to bring telecommunications infrastructure up to scratch.
Budde also took the opportunity to criticise the Federal Government and the Department of Communications for its haphazard funding of telecommunications projects, which saw projects funded on the strength of recipients' lobbying.
-There is no overall vision or strategy behind what the government is funding," Budde said. -We have overcapacity on the long haul networks, and then nothing either side. It is like going down a brand new high way, then turning off into a dirt track full of pot holes."
