> Telstra slams 'pillaging' PM
> - The Age 30/9/2007
>
> "TELSTRA will urge its army of 1.6 million mum-and-dad
> shareholders to vent their anger at the Howard Government,
> with a new direct-mail campaign to arrive in letterboxes
> this week."
>
> Would they need much urging when the T2 buyers who
> had been encouraged by the tories to buy Telstra shares,
> have watched their value drop?
>
> When politicians pushing their privatization barrow
> act like financial advisors they have to wear the blame.
>
> "As Prime Minister John Howard prepares to call an election
> for late November, the provocative letter to shareholders
> will further enrage Government ministers already furious
> at Telstra's perceived political interference."
>
> B^D How ironic, Telecom was once government controlled,
> a national asset, a vector for providing world class
> infrastructure to the entire nation, and generate a
> Billion dollars a year into consolidated revenue.. now
> it's another tory created shambles and we have the shitttiest
> broadband in the Western world, and most of Asia!
>
> "Telstra and the Government have been at war since
> American-born chief executive Sol Trujillo arrived in 2005."
>
> But clearly it is more than a personality clash,
> even FORMER tory ministers are pissed of at Coonan's
> utter incompetence and the directionless tories:
>
> "Relations between Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie
> — once a Howard Government favourite — and Communications
> Minister Helen Coonan have also soured to the point that
> some describe as "mutual loathing".
>
> Telstra believes it is over-regulated."
>
> BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAHAHAAA!
>
> For those of us who saw this coming, it is not surprising
> that the governments band-aids and lash-ups have failed
> to stem the decline of a once-great centre of innovation.
>
> It's quite simple, and was quite predictable BEFORE privatization
> was pushed for IDEOLOGICAL, not economic reasons.
>
> Australia has traditionally been capital poor, and being
> geographically vast, private infrastructure development has
> NEVER met our needs. Either government builds national
> infrastructure, or heavily subsidises the private profits
> of (often foreign owned) multinationals.
>
> The rural constituency knew that if the government sold
> Telstra, the internal cross-subsidization, where high-
> volume trunks help pay for remote rural services, would
> cease. Shareholders want PROFIT MAXIMIZATION, $, not a
> national telecommunications infrastructure (which has
> all the secondary farming, land management health
> and education delivery and defence benefits that don't
> show up in returns to shareholders)
>
> As we know now, it can be more cost effective to help
> farmers survive than to give them $150,000 handouts
> to walk off the land, and then pay someone else to
> manage the land (weed, pest, feral and fire control)
>
> So the privatization deal became a CAMEL, it had
> 'service obligations' stitched on. Telstra had to
> agree to (at least pretend, or go through the motions)
> some basic rural services support... but their heart
> was never in it, and we all know what that means for
> service quality. It was the worst of public/private.
>
> Ever since, Telstra has been Whining (truthfully?) that
> it can't afford the sort of infrastructure renewal that
> Telecom managed, while lugging the 'service obligations'
> that telecom also managed. ;-)
>
> So we haven't had high-speed broadband, thanks to Coonan
> and Howard's Digital Disaster backwater.
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/digital_disaster.htm
>
>
> "Telstra executives have also angered the Government
> by supporting Labor leader Kevin Rudd's plan to build
> a $4-billion fibre-optic broadband network."
>
> Well the tories have dropped the ball on Broadband, as
> they have with infrastructure generally. Opportunities
> created by Keatings economic reforms have been squandered
> by Rip Van Winston and the slumbering tories.
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/climate_coma.htm
>
> "The latest letter to shareholders slams the Government's
> regulatory approach and will arrive in the next few days
> with the company's annual report."
>
> As with the AWA disaster, business has been let down badly by
> both tory inaction and poorly thought out policy-on-the-run meddling
>
> "Shareholders will also get a "Shareholder Survey on Public Policy
> Issues" that, through the questions it asks, is critical of the
> Government's decision to award a $958 million regional broadband tender
> to Optus and Elders."
>
> Hey, they are simply admitting that Optus being government owned
> and controlled (By the far sighted Government of SINGAPORE who
> have what Howard lacks, VISION!!) can do what Howard's privatized
> fuck up CAN'T MANAGE!!! B^p
>
> It would be funny if it wasn't a fucking NATIONAL TRAGEDY!
>
> And as with AWA's the incompetent tories keep changing the
> goalposts for business, there is no certainty, just costly
> confusion and disarray;
>
> "In the letter from the Telstra board, the company complains
> that the Government has "in its wisdom" decided to impose a
> licence condition on Telstra requiring it to maintain its
> CDMA network. Telstra argues that its new 3G national mobile
> broadband network will be running by January 28 and that it
> should be able to then shut down the CDMA network.
>
> "The imposition of this new licence condition is another
> example of the Government showing disregard for sound,
> pro-consumer and pro-investment public policy," the letter says.
>
> "That's why Telstra will explore legal options to reduce these new
> Government-imposed burdens on consumers and Telstra shareholders."
>
> In bold type the letter demands that shareholders decide who has the
> better approach: Telstra or the Government.
>
> "The Government approach — with the Attorney-General making
> the decision little more than 24 hours after receiving
> decision-making responsibility — creates additional red
> tape and compliance costs for Telstra shareholders,
> fosters uncertainty in the marketplace, and wastes taxpayers' money."
>
> While business was accurately assessing the governments
> costly incompetence, the typical tory response was to
> to make surly personal attacks and attempt to smear
> the messenger;
>
> Earlier this month Ms Coonan challenged Mr Trujillo and
> Telstra's group managing director for public policy,
> Phil Burgess, to run for ALP preselection."
>
> Coonan is pathetic, for a government minister to
> throw such petulant hissy fits when her failure
> to develop and implement national telecommunications
> infrastructure is manifest to everyone, is a scandal!
>
> What is clear about tory arrogance is that they think
> the Australian public shares their ideological Class
> War thinking that supporting another political party,
> or, {shock horror}, having democratically elected
> workers representatives.. is some kind of crime,
> and people can be tainted by innuendo that they are one!?
>
> Never mind the fact that it is DISHONEST!
>
> "Mr Burgess hit back yesterday, accusing the Government
> of trying to stymie democracy and maintaining that Telstra
> was trying to stand up for shareholders."
>
> "We need to make shareholders aware that they have been
> pillaged by this Government's policies, and had their
> pockets picked by the regulator (the Australian
> Competition and Consumer Commission)," Mr Burgess said.
>
> "We are strongly committed to shareholder rights." He said
> shareholders needed to know that a significant part of their
> market was being dismantled and turned over to a foreign government.
>
> "And when shareholders do find out, and they realise that a
> consortium dominated by a foreign government has been given
> 1 billion taxpayer dollars, they don't like it."
>
> It's not certain the voters will be any happier! B^[
>
> "Senator Coonan's spokesman, Frank Peppard, sought to play
> down perceptions of a fight between the Government and Telstra.
> "Telstra is entitled to make what comments it likes on
> public policy," Mr Peppard said."
>
> This is the tiredest old croc the government trots out
> when it is slammed by some major Australian institution!
>
> "They have a democratic right" is not the fucking issue..
> the issue is that their CRITICISMS ARE RIGHT!!!! B^D
>
> And this sort of feeble, evasive cop out just won't cut it!
>
> The tories are not addressing the concerns of the business
> sector any better than they are addressing the concerns of the
> rural sector, workers, homeowners with mortages, students
> needing tertiary education, people who can't afford private
> health care's exorbitant rates, persecuted ethnic minorities,
> aboriginals, women who need child care, everyone living near
> a tory Nuke site or waste dump, and decent folk.
>
> The tories are in complete denial:
>
> "There are no problems for the Government there; we have
> no issue with that."
>
> And that's it! Their only response to criticism is to
> either DENY there is a problem, or blame someone else for it!?
>
> "We also believe that the Telstra board has a responsibility
> to do the best they can for shareholders, but at the end of
> the day the Government has to make decisions in the interest
> of the whole market and we don't want anybody left behind
> when it comes to mobile phone coverage, broadband or fixed lines.
>
> "Telstra is acting in the interests of 1.6 million shareholders.
>
> We are acting in the interests of 20 million shareholders."
>
> The difference is that Telstra IS taking action in their interests
> and the government is JUST PUTTING ON AN ACT!
>
> "Mr Peppard said the Government was fully aware that Telstra was
> trying to stir public opinion in the lead-up to an election."
>
> Then it must be shitting itself, 'cos it is working!!!!!
>
> "Of course that is why they are so active now,
>
> Sounds like the government describing it's own behaviour! B^D
>
> Again, the difference is Telstra has been active ALL THE TIME,
> it just so happens the election looms, while the government
> has only started it's 'ACT' because the election is looming;
> Billions spent on taxpayer funded party propaganda campaigns,
> pork-barelling, and the sudden 'discovery' of issues they have
> ignored for decades...
>
> "and in that respect they are just being a lobbyist like any other
> group. It's not a problem."
>
> No .. no problem there at all.. B^D
>
> Like Lemmings who haven't kept up with parachute technology! B^D
>
>
> ---------
>
> Prime Minister Rip Van Winkle;
>
> "Well, I don't, I, I, I, I don't know. I, I mean, I, I "
>
> - John Howard asked about his plans.
>
> Sure John we will all just go get a coffee while
> you find your mind and then make it up! B^D
>
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/climate_coma.htm
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGqTayhu5QM
>
> "After a successful few years as a junior minister in
> Malcolm Fraser's government, Howard was promoted to
> treasury, where his five years in the job can only
> be judged as an unmitigated failure.
> Take a look at the statistics.
>
> When Howard left the treasury in March 1983, the
> budget deficit was forecast at $9.6 billion, inflation
> was 11 per cent, unemployment was 10.2 per cent,
> the economy was in recession with negative
> 0.4 per cent growth, and housing interest rates
> were 13 per cent.
>
> And, despite the 1982-83 recession being the worst
> since the Great Depression, Howard still managed to
> increase the federal tax take from 25.1 per cent of
> GDP in 1977 to 27.5 per cent of GDP by 1982-83.
>
> Howard then spent 13 years in opposition, during
> which - when he wasn't leader himself - he spent
> a lot of time conspiring against the three leaders
> he served under: Andrew Peacock, John Hewson and
> Alexander Downer."
>
> ---------
>
> "THE polls show John Howard is likely to be beaten
> by Labor, now under its sharpest leader in a decade.
> Facing defeat, the Prime Minister yesterday changed
> not only his team but its tone." -Andrew Bolt 24/1/2007
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/team_howard.htm
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/howard_backs_costello.htm
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/trust_me.htm
>
> http://www.geocities.com/wmds_r_us/team_lieberal.htm
>
> ------------
>
> The Official [Est. June 2000] aus.culture.true-blue FAQ ;
>
> http://geocities.com/fairdinkum_trueblue/faq.html
>
>
> The true-blue Homestead;
>
> http://geocities.com/fairdinkum_trueblue/
>
>
> The true-blue Hall Of Fame;
>
> http://www.geocities.com/trueblue_hall_of_fame/index.html
>
>
> The Tuckerbox;
>
> http://www.geocities.com/true_blue_tucker_box/index.html
>
>
> -----------