Get this from the opening page of iiNet’s submission to the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network:
Policy vacuum
The strategic review, the cost benefit analysis and the public debate are all being conducted in a public policy vacuum. Successive governments have struggled to communicate concrete reasons for an investment in NBN. Debate has continued to focus on download speeds for domestic entertainment.No ‘National Objectives’ are presented as the drivers for the construction of the NBN, as they might be for any other infrastructure project.
The strategic review continues the failure to address any of these missing components.
The cost benefit analysis has no specific benefits to analyze, only costs.
National objectives
The Australian public, and it seems the parliament, appears to be unsure why the NBN is being built and so discussions are still mired in the operational issues of costs, timetables and technology, rather than national benefits. iiNet believes there are very clear National Objectives that ought to be the focus of national debate and agreement, as they are in other, neighboring economies.These National Objectives or goals should include a focus on –
• national productivity;
• job creation;
• export opportunities;
• regional development;
• industry development;
• improved competition; and
• improved social outcomes.iiNet does not believe that downloading songs faster or being able to connect multiple televisions should be the drivers of national infrastructure projects.
Perhaps they should form a political party because that makes more sense than anything coming out of our ruling elite.
