Single mum Rebecca Smirke with her son William (3).
Camera IconSingle mum Rebecca Smirke with her son William (3). Credit: Supplied/Jon Hewson

MP’s attack ‘gratuitous’

Staff ReporterComment News

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy joined Prime Minister Julia Gillard at last month’s Community Cabinet meeting at Thornlie Senior High School.

Mr Wyatt said the minister’s presence at the meeting was a slap in the face for residents who were still unable to connect to the broadband network.

However, a spokesman for Senator Conroy said instead of launching ‘gratuitous political attacks,’ the local MP should have paid more attention during the Cabinet meeting.

‘A young student asked the minister directly about the NBN rollout in Thornlie, which Senator Conroy was happy to answer,’ he said. The minister also spoke to Thornlie locals after the meeting, who told him how concerned they were about the Coalition’s plans to demolish the NBN if elected, the spokesman added.

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‘Thornlie is not in the three-year rollout because the ACCC mandated the locations of the Points of Interconnect – the NBN equivalent of telephone exchanges -but the NBN is building the network out from these locations.’

Mr Wyatt said each week Thornlie and Southern River residents contacted his office with concerns about the Government spending $8million on the NBN, but were still unable to connect. ‘What could be more important than hearing the concerns of residents who have been left behind by this Labor Government’s inequitable NBN?’ Mr Wyatt said.