Elliot and Saffin vote to deny North Coast fast broadband

“...Nationals again crossed the floor to vote for the interests of the North Coast...” North Coast Labor Party MPs Justine Elliot and Janelle Saffin need to explain to locals why they voted in Parliament on Thursday to axe the $2.4 billion Communications Fund, set up to future proof telecommunications in regional Australia, according to Nationals Senator Fiona Nash. Senator Nash said she was appalled Ms Saffin and Ms Elliot voted for the Rudd Government’s axing of the fund, saying the likely consequence would be a deterioration of internet speeds and services on the North Coast compared to the city areas. “Once again, they talk big at home, but as soon as they get to Canberra they vote for whatever city-centric policies their Labor masters come up with, regardless of the negative impact on their electorates,” Senator Nash said. “By contrast the Nationals Senators again crossed the floor to vote for the interests of the North Coast and regional and rural Australia as a whole.” In spite of the Nationals holding their ground, the $2.4 billion that had been set aside by the previous Government for rural and regional communications will be used by the Federal Government for its National Broadband Network. “To add insult to injury, there is no requirement from Labor that the broadband rollout start outside the cities, and it could by many years before the North Coast benefits, if ever,” Senator Nash concluded. Contact: Murray Lees, media adviser, 0447 34 00 25

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