Greens back out of NBN briefing

The federal government's attempt to win parliamentary backing for the national
broadband network (NBN) has suffered another setback, with the Australian Greens
rejecting a private briefing of its business plan.
The government is refusing to release the plan until it has been signed off by
cabinet, something Treasurer Wayne Swan says can't be done until the end of November
at the earliest.
But before parliament breaks this week for a two-month recess, it wants the Senate
to pass legislation on the structural separation of Telstra that is central to the
NBN plans.
Crucial independents and the Greens have been offered a private briefing of the
plan, provided they sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Already independent senator Nick Xenophon, whose vote the government needs to have
the upper house pass the legislation, has rejected the offer.
On Sunday he was joined by Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam, who said he
was not comfortable signing a confidentiality clause.
"It imposes a seven-year non-disclosure option, which would be voided for the
material that the government eventually does put into the public domain," he told
ABC Radio.
"The confidentiality will lapse but I have no idea how much they intend to hand over."
The government also needs the support of the Greens in the Senate and the first test
of their cooperation will come as early as Monday when the upper house considers the
legislation aimed at breaking up Telstra.
The legislation is a precursor to other draft laws for the NBN that the government
will table in parliament this week.
Treasurer Wayne Swan believes the government can win over the Greens and the
independents.
"They understand we can't stand still and stay with the horse-and-buggy
communications that were left to us by the likes of (opposition communications
spokesman) Malcolm Turnbull," he told the Nine Network.
But there is little chance the government will release the business plan to appease
the crossbench ahead of a Senate vote.
Mr Swan said cabinet had yet to consider the plan because parts of it were being
examined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
"Cabinet can't take that report into account until the end of this month," he said.
"When we've done that we'll have a full business case and that, or parts of that,
that aren't commercial-in-confidence will be released."
Finance Minister Penny Wong on Sunday admitted she had yet to read the 400-page
business plan.
"It's a very complex and technical and lengthy document which contains a whole range
of commercial and sensitive information," she told Sky News.
But opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey dismissed the commercial-in-confidence
defence, saying it was an excuse all governments used to prevent the release of
documents.
"We used that line in government," Mr Hockey told ABC TV.
"They can copy the document into another file and just press edit delete for those
areas that are sensitive."
Mr Hockey predicted the NBN would be the tombstone of the Rudd and Gillard governments.