NBN in Senate limbo

The federal government's key election promise - the $43 billion national broadband
network (NBN) - remains in limbo, with two crucial crossbench senators yet to back
new laws.
Labor has won over the Greens to support a bill currently before the Senate to
separate Telstra's retail wing from its wholesale operations.
This will pave the way for the giant telco's participation in the NBN and allowing
communications companies to compete on an even playing field.
But South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon and Family First's Steve
Fielding - whose votes are crucial - have yet to back the bill.
Senator Fielding on Monday was the only parliamentarian to accept an offer from the
government for a briefing on the NBN's business case, signing a confidentiality
agreement.
Senator Fielding declined to comment but is due to speak on the bill on Tuesday.
His spokesman told AAP Senator Fielding was unlikely to reveal how he will vote on
the bill until he considers all the amendments to it.
Senator Xenophon was scathing of the government's request to sign a confidentiality
agreement to see the NBN business plan, which the government plans to release in
December after receiving advice from the competition watchdog.
"Right now, given what's happened over the last couple of days, it seems NBN stands
for `no bloody notion'," Senator Xenophon told ABC radio.
The Greens have forced a concession from the government that parliament be able to
veto the proposed sale of the NBN after the network is built.
"We believe natural monopoly infrastructure of this kind should be held in public
hands and run in the public interest, not in shareholders' interest," the party's
communications spokesman Senator Scott Ludlam told reporters in Canberra.
"For us it clears the way to debate and pass the legislation today."
But the government says it remains committed to selling the NBN five years after the
network is completed.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is urging the Senate to pass the Telstra
separation bill before parliament rises for the year on Thursday.
"Every day of delay is another day of higher prices, less choice and fewer
innovative services," he said.
But Senator Ludlam warned Senator Conroy he may have "burned the goodwill of the
cross-benches" in refusing to immediately release of the NBN business plan.
"If crossbench senators choose to delay or vote against the bill I think no one will
be more responsible than the government," he said.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard told parliament the government could not release the
business plan yet because it needed a report from the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC) on how many retail companies will be able to plug into
the network, which was not due until November 30.
But she ducked an opposition question on whether she had read the business plan.
Other NBN-related legislation is due to be introduced to the House of
Representatives on Wednesday but it will be referred to at least one parliamentary
committee for inquiry.
Meanwhile, Labor opened a new front in the NBN battle, accusing opposition
communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull of supporting it privately but opposing it
publicly.
Mr Turnbull owns $10 million worth of shares in technology company Melbourne IT, of
which his wife Lucy is a director.
"Most politicians get asked to put their money where their mouth is," the prime
minister told parliament.
"We simply ask the member for Wentworth to put his mouth where his money is."
Melbourne IT's 2009 annual report appeared to back the NBN, reading, in part:
"Government investments in next-generation high-speed networks around the world,
including in Australia, the NBN ... (mean) we are about to witness another wave of
online growth in the coming years ... In that environment, Melbourne IT will stand
to benefit."
Mr Turnbull told parliament it was "absurd and false" to say he supported the NBN.
"The disgraceful suggestion that I should act corruptly and dishonestly by, I quote:
'Putting his mouth where his money is', speaks volumes about the standards of those
who have made that disgraceful suggestion," he said.