How Australia created the technology election

Tags: ausvotes, colin jacobs, delimiter, election, electronic frontiers australia, family first, filter, julia gillard, national broadband network, syndicate, tony abbott

This post is by Colin Jacobs, the chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia. It first appeared on the EFA’s site and is re-published here with his permission.

opinion This election, online issues finally got the attention they deserve. And the situation is here to stay.

I’m not talking about which party had the most Facebook followers or made the most gaffes on Twitter (Julia Gillard and Family First, respectively). Serious issues around internet governance and our internet future came into play, and by all accounts will continue to be significant as the situation plays out this week.

The first issue that affected the election was Labor’s mandatory internet censorship policy, 3 years old and counting. Throughout that time, I believe the accepted wisdom amongst the scheme’s proponents — the most notable being of course Senator Conroy — was that it would be unpopular with a handful of geeks but would appeal to the wider audience of mums and dads in the electorate.

If this was indeed the strategy, I think it backfired. Although it’s based on mainly anecdotal evidence, I believe many internet users had their political consciousness awoken by this attempt to slap censorship on the country’s net connections. When this issue was important to people, it didn’t just put them slightly off-side, but made them hopping mad, if not lifelong skeptics of the ALP. Over time I have spoken to MPs and parliamentary staffers of all stripes, and I’m pleased to report that many people did indeed contact their elected representatives and let the opinions be known. For some MPs, this amounted to a veritable flood, and the issue was absolutely on their radar.

Unfortunately, we’ll never be able to quantify what this did to Labor’s vote. The fact is that Labor suffered a big swing against them, and it’s worth noting that most of this swing went to the Greens, the most vocal opponents of the filter in Parliament. At the ballot box, we can’t disentangle the filter from other issues such as climate change and refugees that the Greens campaigned on, but I believe the filter played a big role.

The Coalition, of course, decided to oppose the filter themselves, and this didn’t happen until the election campaign was already underway. Once again, from reading the feedback online, there’s some evidence that this gave their campaign a boost amongst Australia’s netizens. The fact that they decided to make an announcement then, rather than wait for the legislation as they had previously indicated, shows that they thought this was the case as well.

So while I wouldn’t want to oversell it, internet users are hardly a minority in Australia, and issues close to their hearts are at getting more attention than ever before.

The other major technological issue of the campaign was of course the National Broadband Network. This was without a doubt the one area where the policies of the two major parties differed the most. At the risk of over-editorialising, it was also one of the few policies with long-term vision and a nation-building agenda. Labor’s policy calls for a huge investment in our broadband infrastructure, and — setting the economic arguments aside — is a clear win for internet users. The Coalition’s policy is much more modest and boils down to wringing the last drops out of the copper network while leaving the market to take care of the rest.

As it happened, both policies got some real scrutiny, culminating in Tony Abbott’s embarrassing 7.30 Report appearance where he begged off discussing the details of broadband by claiming (correctly) that he was no “tech-head”. This is a major development; our leaders are now expected to know the difference between peak and actual speeds, symmetric and asymmetric connections, ADSL2+, DOCSIS 3 and fibre to the home. Telecommunications capability has assumed a place next to, even ahead of, rail and roads as critical infrastructure. This is as it should be.

The NBN is still making itself felt. The regional independents, now ubiquitously dubbed “kingmakers” by the media, have all flagged this as an issue. Nothing reduces the “tyranny of distance” like a fast net connection would, so it’s a crucial issue for regional voters. If the three amigos decide to put Gillard back in the Lodge, our broadband future may have something to do with it.

Incidentally, an example of just how badly the filter has damaged Labor’s credibility with regard to online issues is some of the negative comments we received for praising this broadband policy in contrast to that of the Liberal party. Although this failure to “maintain the rage” against Conroy is temporary and I hope forgivable, the ALP have a long way to go if they ever want to regain the trust of Australian internet users.

I haven’t yet touched on the uses of the net itself, including social media, in the campaign. The major parties focussed as normal on scary TV ads to get their message out, and online spending by the major parties (as best we can ascertain) came in at well under 10 percent. The Greens and minor parties relied much more heavily on drumming up support online, both as a deliberate strategy and due to financial necessity. It doesn’t seem to have done them any harm at all. It’s interesting to ponder what will the next election will look like; will the 30-second TV spot still reign supreme?

With the way things are going, we might not have to wait three years to find out.

Image credit: Believed to be public domain or out of copyright

Is Australia’s Rudd Labor Government taking Aussies for a ride when it comes to the Internet and broadband?

First we have a minimum 12Mbps fibre broadband guarantee that has seen delay after delay, with a 5 year build-out timeframe that hasn’t seen a single sod of soil turned, any contracts awarded and the removal of Australia’s dominant telco, Telstra, from the NBN (National Broadband Network) tender bidding process.

Then came the revelations that Australia’s new Government wants to censor the Internet, supposedly to protect Australians from child pornographers by blocking websites that pedophiles aren’t using in any case, preferring instead to operate via P2P and other more secretive channels. This then led the Government to announce it would trial the filtering of P2P services as well.

Now we have the Federal Opposition making claims that the “Rudd Government does not believe taxpayers should have to foot the bill for broadband services in any part of Australia where a commercially sustainable wireless option is available”.

Opposition Shadow Minister for Communications, Senator Nick Minchin, says in that statement that this “raises serious questions about its motivation to spend $4.7 billion of taxpayers’ money on its trouble-plagued National Broadband Network”.

The rest of the Senator’s statement is as follows:

“It has been reported that the Rudd Government plans to reduce subsidies available under the Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) program by tens-of-millions of dollars because of the continued expansion of 3G wireless services.

“The ABG was established by the previous Coalition Government to provide Australians living in under-serviced parts of the country access to subsidised broadband services such as satellite.
 
“In what could amount to a major broadband policy shift by Labor, the spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has told The Australian: “The purpose of the ABG is to ensure metro-comparable broadband is available to all Australians. If it is available from a sustainable commercial operator then there is no need for taxpayers to subsidise.”
 
“Senator Minchin said these comments indicate that the Rudd Government itself does not really believe taxpayer money should be spent in any area where the private sector is providing some type of viable broadband service fixed or wireless.
 
“The Rudd Government wants to spend $4.7 billion of taxpayers’ money on a fibre to the node project that will replicate the type of fixed-line services already available to many Australians, particularly those living in metro areas, but is now effectively saying it doesn’t really believe taxpayers should have to pay,” Senator Minchin said.

Senator Minchin continued: “While Labor’s firm promise is to deliver new high-speed fibre-to-the-node broadband services to 98 per cent of Australians, the experts have long said and the NBN bidders themselves have now confirmed, that this is nothing more than a naive Labor pipe dream, even with the Commonwealth subsidy.
“So if Labor still plans to spend the $4.7 billion, do the spokesman’s comments indicate that it has now given up on delivering fibre to the node to rural, regional and remote Australians as promised?

“Does this pave the way for it to do what many have long suspected, roll out fibre in well-serviced and easy-to-reach metro areas until the money runs out?” Senator Minchin asked.
 
“On top of that, Labor will scale back the ABG and what tell rural, regional and remote Australians that ‘even though we promised you fibre to the node broadband like the city, we’ve decided you can’t have it and expensive wireless or satellite is good enough for you’?”
 
“By contrast the previous Coalition Government was to contribute $958 million towards a new, high-speed broadband network for under serviced parts of rural and regional Australia (OPEL), which was targeted for completion by mid 2009. Labor cancelled this project with no alternative to it and now also wants to scale back the ABG.
 
“Senator Minchin said these developments made urgent the need for Senator Conroy to release his expert panel’s report which includes recommendations on bids for the NBN and is due on Wednesday (21 January).
 
“This report, as well as that of the ACCC on crucial competition and regulatory issues, must be released, with the opportunity for public comment before the Rudd Government makes any decision,” Senator Minchin concluded.

Serious questions have been raised, but given the torturous path that has already been taken, clear answers from politicians seems as forlorn a hope as encountering an honest second-hand car salesman, true world peace, a sound gold-backed currency or an operating system that doesn’t crash.

Source:   http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/22723-coalition-says-labor-changing-98-broadband-nbn-promise

Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott, the ABC’s Chris Uhlmann, Adam Bandt and Bob Katter at the National Press Club in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: The Australian

INDEPENDENT MP Tony Windsor has questioned the $43 billion National Broadband Network price tag, describing it as a “fictitious number”.

Mr Windsor is one of three country MPs at the centre of power-sharing negotiations, including Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter, who want access to Treasury secretary Ken Henry and Finance department secretary David Tune as they prepare a “roadmap” before entering into talks with Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.

They’ve issued a “call for information” on seven key areas, including access to the costings on all election commitments. As a result Labor could finally be forced to reveal how the $43bn figure was derived.

Mr Windsor described the request as “a test to the parties in terms of their promises going into the election” and questioned the veracity of the NBN funds.

He was flanked by the two federal independents and newly elected Greens MP Adam Bandt.

The NBN is set to be the largest ever infrastructure project undertaken in Australia but the government has never provided a cost-benefit analysis to support the ambitious project.

In fact Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has repeatedly said there was no need for such a study.

Senator Conroy last reiterated that stance to reporters on August 10 at the National Press Club, Canberra.

“Telstra made it very clear that they could find no business case beyond five capital cities and north and south of Sydney.

“So the Gillard government has decided we’re going to do it. We’re not going to wait another 12 months doing a cost-benefit analysis.

“We are leading the world in leading Australians to the 21st century. We’re not hiding it, we’re making it clear that this is a government investment,” Senator Conroy said then.

Taxpayers will provide $27bn to fund the NBN with the remainder coming from private equity.

The Coalition will scrap the fibre-based NBN and replace it with a $6bn version using a mix of technologies including HFC and wireless.
The Greens publicly back the project but don’t want the network privatised in years to come.

“The NBN should go ahead, with priority for communities in regional areas, and it should absolutely stay in public hands so that we don’t see another repeat of the debacle that followed the privatisation of Telstra,” Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam said last month.

“The opposition’s wrecking tactics in the telco sector have gone far enough with the in-principle agreement signed between Telstra and the Commonwealth Tony Abbott no longer has a constituency for blocking, delaying and avoiding reforms,” Senator Ludlam said.

Labor and the Greens want Telstra to separate its wholesale and retail operations – a proposal the opposition has railed against.

Earlier today, the three independents outlined the process they would undertake before commencing talks with Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott.

“We need to establish where the budget bottom line is … in terms of the promises made by the parties,” Mr Windsor said.

“What we are actually talking about here is in terms of the promises that were made during the election campaign by both sides. We need a starting point of the finances of the nation.”

Source:  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/nbn-under-scrutiny-by-country-mps-windsor-katter-and-oakeshott/story-fn4htb9o-1225909874574

He said the chosen sectors – agriculture, renewable energy, the digital economy, lifestyle and tourism – had been identified by the Australian Innovation Research Centre in its report, An Innovation Strategy for Tasmania A New Vision for Economic Development: Conceptual Overview and Options Outline, presented by Professor Jonathan West in late 2009, and that many of the initiatives had been designed to strengthen and support small businesses.

“Small businesses will be critical to the strategy‘s success, because they make up 95 percent of private sector employment in Tasmania’s food processing and agriculture sectors, and 90 percent in tourism,” Bartlett said.

The premier said initiatives to support the innovation strategy,  including those in the 2010-11 State Budget, included, for the digital economy:
- $5.85m over two years for the sector to increase awareness of the opportunities provided by the digital economy;
- $0.6m on a number of strategies to grow awareness levels, including establishing a hands-on digital coaching pilot and a digital tool kit for small businesses;
- $0.25m on research into the impact of the NBN deployment on business engagement in the digital economy and the effectiveness of government programmes;
- $0.4m to migrate key business websites to the Government 2.0 model for online information sharing and service delivery;
- $3.6m for a Digital Futures Capital Fund to fund the development and delivery of digital content, applications and services that add value to businesses and the community engaging in the Tasmanian digital economy;
- a Digital Futures Advisory Council “to bring together world-class expertise to ensure Tasmania capitalises on its digital opportunities;”
- collaborating with industry and TasICT to develop a Digital Economy Industry Strategy (DEIS).

The $3.6m Digital Futures fund will be used to support the three NBN Stage 1 connected towns to offer in-home eHealth services for chronic diseases, including in-home consultations. The strategy suggests that it could also be used for innovative ideas such as eLearning, smart energy management, culture and entertainment and immersive experiences for the community.

The new Government 2.0 model for online information sharing and service delivery is being adopted by governments across Australia and the Tasmanian Government’s $0.4m will be used to migrate key websites, starting with the government’s business services sites, to this model.

The migration will incorporate the Council of Australian Governments’ Business Online Services initiative, which will interconnect the three levels of government business services from a single web portal.

The Digital Advisory Council will “bring together the experience of world-class practitioners, end-users, and analysts to provide a whole-of-economy perspective on the most beneficial opportunities for the government to pursue in developing the Tasmanian digital economy.”

Source:                                                                                                                                                                                           http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/government-tech-policy/41404-tasmanian-government-innovation-strategy-builds-on-nbn

Ms Gillard wrote to the three rural MP’s – New England’s Tony Windsor and Lyne’s Rob Oakeshott from New South Wales and Bob Katter from Kennedy in far north Queensland – to respond to a formal request for information.

The MPs had written a ‘Request for Information‘ to both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott with a list of seven ‘pathways to progress.’ Top of the list was a request for access to both Treasury Secretary Ken Henry and Finance Secretary David Tune for briefings on the economy and election promise costings.

The three also wanted briefings from the department heads of eight departments, from Communications, to Health, Education, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Climate Change, Defence and Resources.

They want the Ministers with portfolio responsibility for these departments and their shadow ministers made available.

Ms Gillard said she has sought advice from Prime Minister & Cabinet on whether changes to Caretaker conventions would be required to meet all of the requests, but at face value said she was happy to make the department heads and ministers available.

But with broadband perhaps playing a more significant role in the outcome of this election than would have been expected just a couple of weeks ago, the Prime Minister went further to offer the MPs the briefing from Mr Quigley.

“Further, with respect to your keen interest in Broadband, would you like a briefing from the Chief Executive and Director of NBNCo Mr Mike Quigley?” Ms Gillard wrote to the three MPs. “He would be best placed to provide you with the technical information on aspects of the NBN including the roll-out and other information you may be seeking?”

Ms Gillard said PM&C head Terry Moran was looking into whether the caretaker conventions would be required to be amended. If they are, she said she would seek agreement with the Opposition leader to make those amendments.

“I would be happy to arrange for briefings from the Secretaries of the Departments you have requested,” Ms Gillard said in her letter. “However, given the importance of maintaining the caretaker conventions, I would like to clarify aspects of your request.”

“In particular, will you be seeking information that would go beyond that which would be normally provided under the caretaker conventions as for your fist request?”

The three rural independents, all of them ex-Nationals, made a series of other requests, including a commitment from both sides that they serve the full three year term, and for a number of changes to Parliamentary procedures.

Ms Gillard gave her commitment to the full term and said she would have a full document outlining Government’s proposals for Parliamentary reform.

She said her conversations with Mr Windsor, Mr Oakeshott and Mr Katter had been conducted “in good faith and in the national interest.”

“Good faith and acting in the national interest will continue to be my approach. I understand your strong commitment to these principles and I share it,” Ms Gillard said.

Source:                                                                                                                                                                                           http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/government-tech-policy/41406-gillard-offers-independents-quigley-briefing

The three king-making rural independent MPs – Tony Windsor from New England and Lyne’s Rob Oakeshott from New South Wales and Bob Katter from Kennedy in far north Queensland – joined the freshly-minted Greens MP from the seat of Melbourne Adam Bandt to face the media en masse for the first time for post-election analysis.

And though broadband services in the bush has formed a large part of the background to the demand of the three rural MPs, it was only a supporting issue in broader demands for stable government, a more open and representative process in the Parliament that allowed disparate voices to be heard, and a strong economy that was shared more of the wealth with the regions.

Adam Bandt said he would back a Labor minority Government. The other three said they were undecided – and that they were undecided as individual representatives rather than undecided as a bloc.

Mr Katter and Mr Windsor said they were not interested in a Cabinet appointment in return for their support. Mr Oakeshott and Mr Bandt did not rule it out.

Having met late last night to discuss a strategy for negotiating with the two sides, the three presented Prime Minister Julia Gillard with a joint letter outlining seven points – ‘pathways to progress’ – they want to see addressed. The letter has also been given to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Among the seven points, the three MPs wanted a briefing from Treasury Secretary Ken Henry and the head of Finance. They want a costing of all election promises from both sides of politics, as well as a briefing on the state of the economy.

They have also understood to have sought changes to Parliamentary procedures that would include the ability to debate Private Members Bills, a beefed up committee system and a re-writing of Question Time rules that would put time limits on questions and answer.

The three appear most interested in the costings of election promises from both sides, an issue that is problematic from both sides, if only because it is not entirely clear whether the public service had been able to cost promises to any level of detail. The election promise costings will also be released publicly for the first time.

It might also be an issue for the broadband network, and may be that costings for the NBN roll-out have been asked for. Mr Windsor wants further details of where the money for the roll-out is being spend, although he fell short of asking for the NBN Company business case.

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard said at a press conference in Canberra this afternoon that some of the requests from the three would require actions not normally undertaken by a Government in ‘caretaker’ mode.

She has sought advice from Prime Minister & Cabinet on what she is allowed to do and what would require amendments to caretaker conventions.

Ms Gillard said she is required to consult with Mr Abbott on any changes that would be necessary to caretaker provisions and to seek his agreement on those changes.

Broadband is clearly an issue for the three independents, but it is not the number one issue.

The question of who forms government is muddied with the apparently success of the independent Andrew Wilke in the seat of Denison in Tasmania. Mr Wilkie will meet with the Prime Minister in Melbourne on Saturday and with Opposition leader Tony Abbott next Saturday.

Further, Julia Gillard said she had spoken with the newly-elected Western Australia MP Tony Crook, who told her that he “does not consider himself to be a Truss National,” opening the door to his possibly cooperation with Labor.

Source:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/government-tech-policy/41402-independents-day-offer-few-nbn-clues

Previously, investors could not protect their financial interest due to lack of insurance capacity and first-party rights to the spacecraft. For start-up companies, which rely on the revenue generated by the early launches, the ability for the satellite to be successful is crucial. IPI is the solution, enhancing the satellite operator’s initial credit rating by relieving investors of the biggest risk — failure to launch. “Aon used its leverage with the insurance markets to introduce new capital, supporting both investors and operators by protecting their investments,” said Clive Smith, space business unit leader for Aon‘s International Space Brokers. “As developments continue to increase for areas such as delivering broadband as well as pollution and disaster monitoring, lack of liquidity in the financial markets has delayed industry growth. IPI will restore that growth.”

A claim will be triggered by any damage to or total loss of the satellite. The policy will react to fluctuations in bond yield and the share price before and after the launch or orbit. It pays an amount that recoups the loss of the publicly or privately traded securities of the satellite operating company in which the insured has invested. In the event of a loss paid, the insurers will receive the securities as salvage. “IPI will benefit companies beyond the space industry. Aon is already looking into applications in industries with similar needs that have a technical and financial trigger, which will help avoid the product slipping into the area of financial guarantees,” said Michael Hewins, chief commercial officer of Aon’s International Space Brokers.

I found this great artical by

• By Stephen Fenech
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• March 03, 2010 9:48AM

Mobile Smart Phones (l to r) Nokia N900, iPhone 3G S , BlackBerry Bold, Samsung Icon HD , HTC HD2, Picture: John Fotiadis Source: The Daily Telegraph

NEW smartphones let you see the world from the palm of your hand, writes Stephen Fenech.

NOKIA N900
Price: $899
Website: nokia.com.au
Rating: ***

NOKIA’S latest entry into the smartphone market offers the best of both worlds with a touch-sensitive screen and a slide-out qwerty keyboard.

The N900′s 3.5-inch screen is very responsive and the keyboard lets you type messages, tweets or status updates quickly.

The downside of having both is the added weight (181g) and thickness (1.6cm) of the device. The N900, which is due for release next month, also runs a new Maemo operating system that makes it easier to multi-task and browse the web.

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For nearly all of its functions the N900 needs to be held in landscape mode like a laptop, but it can be flipped sideways to make calls.

HTC HD2
Price: $829
Website: htc.com/au
Rating: ****

THIS phone’s headline feature is its enormous screen. It’s simply huge at 4.3 inches and makes web browsing, media viewing and reading messages comfortable.

The device is also quite thin and, with an exclusive Telstra partnership until March 31, it sings along nicely on the Next G network. It has space for memory cards to expand its storage and a 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom.

Under the hood, the device runs Windows Mobile 6.5 and it’s here that it puts the smart into smartphone with mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint plus full email synching with Outlook using ActiveSync.

IPHONE 3GS
Rating: $879 16GB/$1040 32GB
Website: apple.com.au
Rating: ****

THE iPhone reinvented the smartphone with a touchscreen interface and slick operating system. It also created a new mobile computing platform that has inspired more than 140,000 apps for the device.

Apart from being a phone, the iPhone is also a great way to browse the web and access email, both private and corporate. It incorporates a fully fledged iPod that can store thousands of songs and can play movies and TV shows in the palm of your hand.

Couple that with GPS navigation, wi-fi connectivity, a 3-megapixel camera that can capture video and stills, a voice recorder and voice controls and you have got a very personal computer.

SAMSUNG ICON HD
Price: $999
Website: samsung.com.au
Rating: ****

THE specs on this are impressive, starting with its bright 3.7-inch screen that can display up to 16 million colours. The Icon HD packs in an 8-megapixel camera that takes high-quality images, but the trump card is its ability to capture and play video in high definition (720p).

Running the Symbian operating system, the Icon HD provides a clean and reliable interface to navigate its many features, including Outlook email, Microsoft Office compatibility, a business card scanner, voice recorder and FM radio.

It can also share files, including high-definition video, wirelessly using DLNA to compatible devices on a home network such as a TV or computer.

BLACKBERRY BOLD 9700
Price: $999
Website: blackberry.com
Rating: ***

BLACKBERRY cut its teeth as a tool for business users, but today the smartphones are selling faster among regular consumers.

The Bold 9700 reflects this trend with a designer look, high-res screen and multimedia features that make it as much an entertainer as a communication device.

Its strength is as an email device that can deliver your Gmail or connect to your company’s secure server for business mail. And having a full qwerty keyboard means heavy email users who don’t like typing on glass can power through messages with ease.

A new feature is the trackpad that allows users to navigate the device with the brush of a finger.

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Govt open to Telstra Bill changes

The government has indicated for the first time that it is “open to amendments” on the Telstra separation Bill due for debate this Thursday.

“The government will always have an open mind to amendments that it believes will improve the Bill,” Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s Office wrote in a statement on Friday evening.

The Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2009 has offered Telstra a choice to voluntarily opt for structural separation or face an imposed functional separation coupled with tough sanctions, including a ban on acquiring spectrum for 4G wireless services.

The government is “determined to debate and pass the Bill early this year,” Conroy’s office wrote.

The government hoped to reintroduce the Bill to the Senate this Wednesday; however, it has been pushed back to Thursday due to various health Bills, leaving little chance for it to be passed until Senate resumes on 9 March.

Independents as late as last week were yet to hear from Conroy regarding their concerns over the Bill, with Greens’ Senator Scott Ludlam questioning what exactly would be in it. Ludlam, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon and Family First Senator Steve Fielding have all indicated they want to see amendments made to the Bill.

The week’s break to 9 March could be seen as giving NBN Co and Telstra a short window to complete negotiations regarding the company’s structural separation, though the company’s CEO David Thodey said two weeks ago that decision would be “months away”. Thodey has also said that any deal with NBN Co must be approved by shareholders.

David Forman, executive director of the Competitive Carriers’ Coalition (CCC), said Thodey’s requirement to get shareholder approval will not stop the Bill proceeding.

“Public policy is not hostage to David Thodey’s opinions on what is agreeable to shareholders. That’s David Thodey’s problem,” Forman told ZDNet.com.au.

The CCC, which represents several carriers’ interests, had argued its case to crossbenchers, Forman said.

“We have had very constructive conversations with crossbench senators on all aspects of the Bill. I’m not sure whether that will translate into amendments, but I have very good reason to believe that these are taken seriously and confident that they will be discussing those changes with the government,” said Forman.

Broadly speaking, CCC has argued for an open process to determine whether Telstra’s proposed form of structural separation to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is adequate — if it proposes one prior to the government passing the Bill. It also wants to ensure that Telstra cannot use contract law to overcome pricing determinations made by the ACCC.