The coalition gained the support of independent Senators to vote down the inquiry proposed by Labor and the Democrats to investigate "the current and prospective levels of competition in broadband services, including interconnection and pricing in both the wholesale and retail markets; any impediments to competition and to uptake of broadband technology; and the implications of communications technology convergence on competition in broadband and other emerging markets".
The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, claimed that the proposed inquiry would duplicate the workings of two inquiries currently underway, the Inquiry into the Australian Telecommunications Network and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Inquiry as to whether Internet interconnection services should be regulated under the Trade Practices Act.
However, the Competitive Carriers' Coalition (CCC), consisting of AAPT, Hutchison, Macquarie Corporate, PowerTel and Primus Telecom, expressed "dismay" at the Government for blocking the Inquiry.
"The ACCC last week made clear its view that communications policy in Australia had failed to deliver, and that it believed a new approach was needed," said the CCC in a statement.
The CCC again raised the issue of a structural separation of Telstra, a House of Representatives Inquiry into which the Government cancelled earlier this year.
"Most of the telecommunications industry, the National Competition Council, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, consumer advocates and independent analysts have all declared in recent months that the government is obliged in the interests of good government to end its "no-go zone" attitude to discussions around the structure of telecommunications in Australia," said the CCC.
Another reason to forget The Liberal Party at the polling booth.
Treat us like bogan's who dropped out of school early to begin a career on welfare and benefits , and we will further educate our friends both locally and globally on how bad Telstra really is vs the competition in Australia and abroad at the moment ; end result of this is Telstra's value goes down further and further and further along with it's already putrid reputation.
Try selling that.