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I'm a telstra shareholder and i'm still waiting for my value. Sol got his big payout for achieving nothing ..... this was always coming. unfortunately the telstra management team and board put their faith in the American cowboy, who has rode off into the sunset with pockets full of cash. Shame.
The Liberals had 12 years in office, Anonymous, compared to only 2 years for Labor. How much has Liberal achieved in their time in office, huh?
It matters not, the point is that Labor are incapable of managing something this complex. Just look at thier shallow record since they were elected. It will never happen...at least with this current Government in office.
Labor couldn't run a chook raffle !
Well seeing as how the Liberals were the butt monkeys who sold off the infrastructure we all owned and had paid for I think this is the FIRST and only thing Conroy has actually managed to get right!
Who cares about the 'previous government' Anon never brought it up!
Thats the problem with you political nutcases, who cares, Labor, Liberal - it is not about what happened 2 years ago, its about what is happening now! Your answer to every criticism of Labor is 'Look a the previous govt' - My God, even Dudd and Gillard do it as a standard answer.
Pathetic, you people need to shut up, get out of the way - you add ZERO to the debate.
Lets just hope *something* evolves from this development, like a metre of fibre being laid!
Considering it's all politics, it's not so suprising that people are polarised between the two political parties. Understanding history allows you to avoid repeating stupid mistakes. Go hide your head in the sand again Thomas!
If attempting to confront the issues of 'right now' is hiding ones head in the sand, then I'm up to my ankles.
Living in the past and referring to the past are two very different things Simon. Sorry you missed that point!
This is typical of a Government that hasn't got a clue in the area of telecommunications. God knows what to expect next from Conboy, as the NBN fiasco continues to unfold.
Why isn't this forum moderated at least to weed out the morons and political one sidedness? As a person with multiple disabilities, at least Conroy is listening to the 10% plus Aussies that have a disability and doing something about it!
Finally Conroy does something useful. This can only be good for all Australians.
Conroy has only made an annoucement of draft legislation. Wait until it is passed before you can say Conroy has actually done something.
What you really mean is Daft legislation!
Lucky you, Mr. Tujilo
In regard to this why didn't the Government of the day decide to do this when they were the owners of Telstra? And now it is in private hands it is seen as a threat.
If this happens then what can we do with the other companies that are growing like woolworths and expanding their empire rather than becoming smaller.
I think then that enterprise will decide not to invest if later on down the track they are forced to sell a strategic part of their business. The logic is so that the playing field becomes more competitive but how much do you pay a monopoly to undertake this. There is more than the cost of their business unit but the goodwill that is attached too.
Care is needed in appropriate remuneration on behalf of Telstra who will lose out. Competition is good but not when you take away another company's business.
It reminds me of Microsoft in the USA.
Good luck but i dont think it is a good idea.
Jehan
Earlier governments created the problem by letting the network, carrier and content services be included when TA/Telstra was formed. The previous government then compounded the felony by selling the incumbent juggernaut intact, apparently because they figured (no doubt correctly) that the market would pay more for a monopoly.
So this announcement is great news for every comms end-user and consumer in Australia. At last we have a government with the vision (and the balls) to unwind the competition nightmare that has existed for many years. The national interest demands nothing less.
The govt of the day were warned of the consequences of T1 and not separating the pstn/wholesale networks. The warnings were quickly realised after privitisation and it's been downhill ever since!
The Liberal Govt really stuffed this up, if they were in private enterprise they would have been sacked, then sued for gross negligence.
Great to see the government tidying up the Liberals' mess.
JC it was Labor and Kim Beasley that created the combined retail and wholesale Telstra.
But it was mostly owned by the government at the time. So this is the Libs mess and it needs to be cleaned up and the quicker the better.
Rule #1, never privatize a monopoly. It is a mess that must be cleaned up.
"These fundamental reforms address the long-standing inadequacies of the existing telecommunications regulatory regime. They will drive lower prices, better quality and more innovative serviceS."
Did the journalist get the complete quote from the Minister? DId it not continue? "They will drive lower prices, better quality and more innovative serviceS, (and) higher unemployment, lower income tax revenues, lower returns to Future Fund dependant public sector superannuants, and, most importantly, eliminate a legitimate income stream for 1.4M investors who greedily and predatively low balled the Gov't by buying this monstrosity from us (on our terms) in the first place."
It has been a long time coming and I will wait to see the actual detail before I celebrate. However, this is a sensible decision to overturn a legacy monopoly that arose as both a constitutional right and responsibility of the government - S.51 (v) . Selling public assets to private citizens while retaining such responsibilites was poorly thought out public policy. It will take even longer to clean up the mess (unhappy shareholders are just one item) but then, good public policy is usually quire difficult.
This change is long overdue. Telstra shareholders arent due any compensation, as the risk of investing was spelled out when they bought their shares. There are many pages in the prospectuses outlining the potential risk due to regulatory change. This has been coming since the govt changed, so smart shareholders should have factored this in or sold their shares. On top of that, separation is not proven to be value destroying as the yanks tried to make out. Some analysts say it will actually increase the value of shareholders holding, and I am sure they will welcome that after all the years of being screwed over by the previous management.
This move by the govt is the best thing that could have happened to the sector!
Didn't the Government Future Fund recently sell off a large portion of its shares in Telstra? Did the Government know about this announcement that the Government was making?
If I as a company or individual and did what the Government has just done by selling a large stake just before I was to make an announcement, I would be put in Jail.
But then again, the Government is above the law and can do what ever they like.
I think it is the Government that needs reform.
Didn't eveyone know it was coming? :D
Our form of govt certainly needs reform. It's either gross incompetance or gross corruption. The only difference between Labor and Liberal is which organised crime syndicate is represented.
If you want to make a study of corruption and incompetenance all rolled into one moronic package you should look at the NSW Government.
As conservative as I am I will concede that Labor at federal level is only incompetant although they seem to have mastered the art of buck-passing.
If Gen Y and the Looney Left hadn't ditched the previous government then this ineptitude we are suffering would have been a lot less significant. Even though Liberal privatised Telstra the writing was on the wall years earlier when Labor created the mess to begin with by opening the phone market up, flogging AUSSAT and merging Telecom with OTC and then corporatising the merged entity in preparation for privatisation.
The only real reason Liberal privatised Telstra was to pay off public debt - another disaster that Labor left us with in 1996 and is building up again only 12 years later.
Even in my young age I am sure that Australia will never be debt free again in my lifetime.
Can you Liberal fruit cakes ever see past your ideological bias, sacked Telstra volunteer?
Following initial scepticism, Rudd's stimulus package has now been lauded by everyone, except the Libs and Nats and their die hard shills. Even financial analysts and big business, traditionally sceptical of anything Labor, has credited Rudd with avoiding a recession.
You keep telling yourself it can't be true. But while you do, here are the facts for those who can unbiasedly comprehend information, following Rudd's handling of the GFC.
http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=835071
'Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said the 'stunning' rebound comes with no help from traditional drivers of confidence - such as low petrol prices or interest rates'.
"The stand out force must be the huge financial handouts introduced by the government to counter the global financial crisis."
I'm sure you Liberal die hards, know better than the experts", though. Then.
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Politics/2009/09/14/Voters_approve_govts_handling_of_GFC_372383.html
'The poll showed the Coalition would be trounced if an election were held now.
Labor leads the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis by 55 per cent to 45 per cent and on the primary vote by 44 per cent to 40 per cent.
Kevin Rudd's approval rating in the latest poll is 70 per cent and his disapproval rating 25 per cent.
He leads Mr Turnbull as preferred prime minister by 69 per cent to 23 per cent'.
After today's announcement that will probably peak agai, so I can see why you so desperately are trying to quell the euphoria.
Best keep your stupid comments for next Lib lovers night, if you can find a phone box small enough.
So please keep disbelieving and cling to a NSW victory. Because while you refuse to face facts and pretend Rudd is not doing a good job, while ever everyone else disagrees with you, you will stay in Federal opposition for forever and a day, right (pun intended) where you belong!
Jay,
Your little outburst does you no favours. Stay on topic old son. Time will prove your rantings as the rubbish it is. Chairman Dudd and Conroy have no idea or experience to properly manage this complex matter. Bye for now comrade.
you've been busy. how many comments is that today 50, clown?
....you would know, as you are always glued to your screen, looking for an opportunity to throw in more of your stupid one sided comments.
please stick to the topic.
i know you want to deflect more positives from rudd on a day like today.
but your jealousy of his quick fire achievements and avoidance of a recession is pathetically obvious.
Talk about staying on topic...
Labor and KRudd didn't avoid a recession. They created one. Interest rates don't go down to peanuts in boomtimes mate. Then there is that other buggery factor called employment. If we aren't in a recession why is every man and his dog losing their job?
Under Howard the economy grew at or around 4%, everyone who wanted a job could have one (or more than one) and we didn't have our government wasting time with apologies, Kyoto Protocols or worrying about how many chocolate frogs our sons and daughters eat between 4:00 and 6:00 each night.
Mel, you must have bumped into lots of things, having those eyes shut since late 2007. But it really defeats the purpose of being 'Lord Watchdog', not seeing, doesn't it? Seems a number of humans, who actually have brains and hearts, snuck past you and into power! Also must make it hard to rewrite history like that!
But to educate you, as you obviously wouldn't have seen (refer above) about a year ago the entire world finances almost collapsed due to corporate greed, brought on by the policies of the likes of G. Dubbya Bush and John (Mr. Garrison) Howard. Up until then the snouts were in the trough, with the haves and have nots, just as you wing nuts like it.
But like all good little rad cons, Garrison has duped you into believing black is white (no racist overtones). So although you say it and have even talked yourself into believing it, it doesn't make it so.
One might say you are the Sydney Lawrence of the political world, lmao! Telstra didn't lie - Labor and Rudd created one (recession), see!
Oh nay sayer and Liberal shill, you obviously know better than the people, PM, Treasurer, investment experts both here and abroad, business leaders, the actual statistics and now also the ultimate experts, the 'Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)', lol.
First up, don't forget the two links I left you above about the success of the stimulus packages, then about that employment -
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2009/09/17/OECD_applauds_govts_stimulus_spending_373415.html
The full story here and below a few snippets.
'OECD applauds govt's stimulus spending - Thursday, September 17, 2009 » 06:22am
The OECD says the Rudd government's stimulus packages have minimised job losses.
Australia's unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent is well below the OECD average of 8.5 per cent.
Outside Australia, the OECD fears unemployment among its member nations may hit a new post-war high of 10 per cent if the global recovery fails to regain momentum'.
-----------------------------
That's completely opposite to what you've been saying here and elsewhere Mel? But I'm sure you know better than all of them, what would they know! lmao!
I shudder to think the dire situation we would have been left in if that bumbling Howard was still PM! Sitting on his hands, hoping the crisis would just go away.
The Rudd stimulus packages were pre-emptive moves, which were perfect and saved us. If you don't believe me just ask the all those above, oh and especially the OECD.
Perhaps it's time to put your childish little ideologies to one side and give credit to Mr. Rudd. But you know on second thoughts, it may just be better for you to keep those eyes shut, your much more fun that way!
No reply Mel, Lord Watchdog, Brad?
It's not like you, to not argue against the facts and try to rewrite history with your typical flawed, right wing extremist ideological crap, hey rad con?
You even started your own amateur website to promote your disgusting right wing lies.
How about telling us all again, contrary to the truth Liberal shill, how great the bumbling Howard was?
Strange you say how great he was, when history (actual history not your history) shows him to be only the 2nd PM in history (the other another wing nut too) to lose his own seat. Hahaha. Go Maxine!
Howard was that despised and bumblingly hopeless, that even his own electorate - YOUR electorate Brad, voted him personally out, rofl. But yet you laud him and have a completely different take, lmao. See, that's what happens walking around with those eyes closed!
You only love him because you were a "sacked Telstra volunteer", haha, and he was a sacked PM, as such you are kindred spirits, rofl.
What a duo!
Cya soon. I bank on it, lmao!
You need help mate. Oh, by the way, how many jobs has McWho created in Bennelong since she booted out Howard??
Anyone who says anything against the wonderful *King John* needs help ay mate.
If Maxine is not doing her job since she *booted out Howard, nice description*, vote her out, like you did Howard, easy.
Better still wait until she's PM then vote her out, so that other loser has a companion.
Quite true about Maxine - she is bloody useless.
What the delerious Jason is forgetting is that Bennelong is notionally Labor since the last redistribution of electorates.
The only reason Bennelong is red is because the AEC has been shifting it west for years. Bennelong's original booths polled strongly to Liberal at the last election - feel free to visit the AEC website and check the results. It will explain why Liberal holds all the seats to the east - Berowra, Bradfiled and North Sydney. To the west and south you have Reid, Parramatta and Lowe, all Labor seats.
Maxine McKew has done bloody nothing since she got in. I haven't heard a peep out of her even though before the election she claimed to be a strong voice for the people but the fact is that a roll of duct tape couldn't make her quieter.
Jason, however, is too busy trying to make a name for himself to see the difference. He'd prefer to sit at his computer 24/7 and hurl petty insults than present any facts.
I said cya soon and vouila another bite, rofl.
But oh contraire Mel/Brad.
Open those eyes even for a minute and you 'will see' that I have posted 3 factual links to prove your unfounded Liberal lies to be just that, Liberal lies.
You cannot deny them (without looking like a bigger goose than usual) so instead you try to turn it round and blame me, haha. You are a Sydney clone aren't you but a sacked Telstra voluteer clone.
Make up all the excuses you want or try to justify it all you want but in the final analysis, John Winston (Mr Garrison) Howard lost his seat. That hurts hey? lmao
Mel was right about you Jay...
cya [see you], vouila [voila], oh contrarie [au contraire], rofl [haha], voluteer [volunteer], lmao [haha].
Unemployed and obviously uneducated.
Rofl, Mel/Bradolf sacked Telstra volunteer. Keep returning, I love to advertise your true Telstra title.
Thanks for those ironic, petty insults and lack of facts. How would Howard lose his seat, hey? Rofl.
But I see you are desperately up to your old tricks again, sneaky! Making a comment as Mel, and then answering your own stupidity, anonymously! Does nothing ever change rad con?
There is only one person who is 'always so lame', as to be pedantic about typos and tiny missssspellings. He who hides his lies and drivel behind such stupidly anonymous, nothing comments, just like this. He who misspells as much as anyone, but no one else cares! That'd be you Bradolf or should I call you Lame Flame?
Umm, if you are going to chip someone about spelling don't then misspell, the misspell yourself. How embarrassing. You actually misspelled my misspell, rofl. I never said oh contraRIE. You just got caught in your own ridiculous web of pedantism, fool! au karma, lmao.
Grow up little boy. Here's a comment from another poster in another thread who snidely sums it up!
Jes. But people don't care about spelling, punctuation and sentences that make sense any more ...do they?!
No actual humans don't really care about grammar, particularly when texting or chatting online. However sentences still need to make sense! It's only pedantic little monarchist, right wing extremists who can't support their idiotic comments and cannot correspond rationally, who carry on.
Oh (sorry au) have you yelled obscenities at, ex-communicated or attempted to belittle (as usual with help from the klan, as you can't do it alone) anyone over at amateur hour, lately? Teacher perhaps! Simply, because they disagree with your lame conservative twaddle!
Talk about lamers corner!
cya [see you], vouila [voila], oh contrarie [au contraire], rofl [haha], voluteer [volunteer], lmao [haha].
Mel is definitely right about Jay
What else would you expect from this unemployed and obviously uneducated twit. You can tell by the lengthy diatribes he continues to post, that he has nothing better to do 24/7. That's why he continually begs for a reply to his ongoing crap. It's his life !
Who writes your script , McWho's cat perhaps ? Give us even one example of what she has done since being elected. SFA that's what, which is exactly what you continue to achieve with your never ending, idiotic ravings and petty insults. It is little wonder that Mel upsets you so much.
Are you kidding, this goon is well beyond help. The best help we can possibly offer is to ignore him. He starts crying his eyes out, if no one responds to his crap immediately. It's all that keeps him going in his miserable 24/7, glued to the PC, existence. What a pathetic loser he is.
I like your attitude anonymous. Keep it up please.
Seems to me like a valid point there. If that is not insider trading, then it certainly smells like it. I would be very interested to hear an experts legal opinion on it.
Thanks for nothing the Hon. Stephen Conroy.
It is most likely that all pricing will go up, cause a broken of Telstra (network) will have to charge the same price to Telstra (retail) for network access as it wants to charge everyone else, or it will face an anti-competive case from the ACCC.
So it will make it easy to charge the $20 - $30 access charge Telstra claims it needs to pay for the service equally to all.
Can some one explain in plain speaking English why we will be better off and point to a country with a better model
Please, no politicians, you just don't seem smart enough
By breaking up a monopoly and enforcing operational separation you're encouraging competition in the market. By increased competition, prices go down for customers. Whilst not necessarily a good thing for shareholders, certainly is for the end users and new entrants to the market.
As for an example of a country doing the same, just look to your neighbour New Zealand where similar separation was undertaken recently with the country's largest telco Telecom.
Cain,
1. Telstra is not a monopoly in many areas. Optus has a witeline access network of its own to about quarter of the homes in Australia. Many other carriers have their own access networks in the CBDs. Where Telstra is a 'monopoly', it is so simply because its competitors have chosen not to compete.
2. Telstra is already operating under Operational Separation and has been for years. Unlike Conroy's proposal, the Operational Separation that exists breaks the company into three components. Currently, the network part is separate from wholesale. This will create an interesting problem under Conroy's proposal.
3. When companies merge, efficiencies are created and costs are reduced. Sadly for its employees, this usually leads to a series of retrenchments that soon follow. This happened recenly with VHA, the merged Vodafone Hutchison company. It stand to reason that when the reverse happens (a company is split) inefficiencies are created and costs increase. No prizes for guessing who will pay those costs.
4. The NZ separtion is still underway. They are still duplicating their IT systems as a part of this process. It is a bit early to be declaring it a success just yet. BTW, separation is the exception, not the norm in the world.
5. Telstra is not the only 'vertically integrated' company. Optus, Primus, AAPT are as well to varying degrees. If telstra is vertically disintegrated, it will be operating under a more restrictive set of rules that its competitors. Is this what Optus calls a "level playing field"?
One thing to consider. Many have declared Telstra Wholesale's 'profit' as proof that the fees paid by Telstra's competitors does cover costs and represents a profit. Telstra Wholesale does not currently pay for the network. The network part of Telstra is separate and if you follow the money, you will faind that it is largely funded from Telstra's Retail arm. Once Conroy's plan is implemented, the network part will be welded to the wholesale part and Telstra's Retail arm and their bucket of money will be cut free. What do you think this is going to do to the wholesale pricing now wholesale has to pay for the lot? What do you think a cashed up Telstra Retail comany is going to do with all of its new cash?
In the UK the standard internet connection is 100Mb/s at 12 BP per month, no data limit.
Our so-called NBN is "aiming" at 100Mb/s which, by the time it is finally implemented, will be so slow and way out of date that Australia will remain the laughing stock of the consumer-technology world that it is now.
I just returend from the UK and I saw adds in the paper which were for 2mb/s and 10mb/s not 100mb/s. the internet connection was not blistering speed and it appeared the most popular connection with my relatives was internet linked with their sky accounts.
This Government should be jailed. Their actions are criminal. The last Government were no better. In any event Telstra should fight this and if they lose all their future investment should be directed overseas.
That's where most of the investment has gone anyway. Telstra has been shedding Australian jobs for years.
All Telstra shareholders start a petition and lets hurts these communist pillocks where it hurts...Election TIME!!!
Eight of the largest institutional shareholders of Telstra have had a meeting with Dr Phil Burgess to have explained the possible result of the Rudd Government blackmail of Telstra.
I hope the other million Australian mums and dads Telstra shareholders have this Rudd blackmail explained to them also. Unless the Rudd Government compensates the Telstra owners for any loss, stand and fight is the only option.
Seems like a logical reason to seek an explanation. Now for the barrage of crap, that is sure to emanate from the anti Telstra brigade.
Uncle Syd,
You should write a book about all those futile efforts to prop up Telstra's share price.
It should be called:
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Be prepared to compensate Telstra shareholders Conboy, you moronic fool.
But, then again, apart from a signature and an apology, the great Dudd and his team have acheived very little since lying thier way into Government so perhaps this is just more spin, spin, spin.