Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to express my outright astonishment that the Abbott government has been completely unable to give any assurance to the telecommunications industry about the extent to which the government will help provide funds to aid the sector in transitioning to the new metadata laws that are being debated in the other place right now. The scale of the costs established by PwC is between roughly $190 million and just over $300 million, and yet to date our telecommunications sector is none the wiser as to what the capital contribution by the government will be. It is completely stunning. What the Abbott government is suggesting is that the sector must wait until the budget to find out what the support will be.

Ms Ryan interjecting—

Another surprise indeed, member for Lalor. I cannot believe that people of the calibre of the member for Bradfield, who knows full well the cost pressures on the sector, and the Minister for Communications are unable to secure through the government some sort of information or indication for the sector about what is going on. No other sector would be treated so shabbily as it has been by the Abbott government, and they should be stumping up and letting the sector know what the costs will be and how much will be supported by the Abbott government.