Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer him to the Treasurer’s claim that Telstra shares held in the Future Fund are protected from political interference. Can the Prime Minister confirm that section 8 of part 3 of schedule 1 of his own Future Fund legislation empowers the government to direct the Future Fund regarding its handling of Telstra shares, including to deal with these shares non-commercially, in contrast to the provisions that apply with respect to the balance of the Future Fund? If the government is so concerned to ensure that the Future Fund holding of Telstra shares is protected from political interference, why did you insert this provision in the legislation? If Australia’s future is not about broadband, what is it about?

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