INDEPENDENT candidate for New England Tony Windsor said the timing of raids on former Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy and the homes of two political staffers recently was “suspicious”.
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Mr Windsor said locals have a right to know the truth about the National Broadband Network and its costs and roll-out time frame.
“The truth should be given to Australians and in particular country Australians about the rollout of the National Broadband Network,” he said.
“The AFP raids on the former Minister for Communication office and two staffers at this point in the election campaign may not pass the pub test.
“The government can’t deny the timing of the raid is fortuitous as they work to convince people about their claims that their NBN is better than the original.”
Mr. Windsor said that the current government promised the NBN would be cheaper under their plan and quicker.
“But in terms of the quality of service to regional Australians we are being told we have to accept the second rate service of Fibre to the Node (FTTN) instead of Fibre to the Premise (FTTP),” he said.
“The NBN Co is still 100 percent owned and controlled by the Australian Government which therefore has the ability to influence how things are done by the NBN Co, and has a vested interest in keeping bad news under wraps.”
Local computer expert Dave Wren said the Turnbull-Joyce government has made the NBN “worse” for country people.
“As soon as Mr Turnbull messed with the original way the NBN was supposed to be run out I knew country people would be worse off for it, and the nonsense he and Mr Joyce are spreading about how good it is for our electorate is rubbish,” Mr Wren said.
But Mr Joyce said contrary to Mr Windsor’s claims the government does not tell the Federal police when and where to act.
“The Australian Federal Police act independently of government and what the AFP investigates is a matter for the AFP,” he said.
“The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police made it very clear that the AFP works independently.
Mr Joyce said he does not agree with the Opposition claims the NBN is behind schedule and over budget.
“The NBN has met its milestones over the past eight quarters and is under budget compared to its corporate plan targets for costs this financial year,” he said
“We have put the NBN back on track to deliver high-speed broadband to all Australian homes and businesses by 2020.
“In contrast, NBN under Labor was based on fantasy assumptions, riddled with delays and the absence of cost controls.”
