Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like all members in this place, when we are out and about in our electorates, people bring a number of issues to our attention. Often it is not a big, national issue. Sometimes it can be the barking dog next door, or the cat infestation in the house next door. In any case, we need to remember that every time someone brings one of these issues to us it is the big thing for them at the time, and we have to try to do our best to do something about it. A federal issue but at a very small level is Telstra's apparent inability to maintain their service pits out on the streets of this nation. It has been the case for many years. How often do we see those yellow railings around the outside of these service pits, which are a risk to people but also an icon for Telstra's inability to get their job done. A lady raised it with me just the other day on a street called Pelican Parade in Ballajura. She told me the pit had been unmaintained and that it had been damaged for several weeks, possibly months. Then, just 200 metres down the street, there was another one; around the corner, another one—and these are almost epic in their numbers. I say to Telstra: 'It is about time you get on with your job. Get your job done. Get these maintenance pits fixed all the way around the country.'