Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. Minister, over the past few weeks we have seen the fallout of the government’s decision to sell off all of Telstra, which Family First opposed, with the company announcing it will immediately slash 500 jobs as part of its grand slash-and-burn strategy to cull 12,000 jobs over the next three years. I note also that you have publicly condemned Telstra for its actions. Minister, given you led the campaign to sell off Telstra, what do you say to the thousands of Australian workers and their families whose lives will be devastated by these massive job losses?