David Cunliffe
Finance Spokesperson

Clare Curran
Communications and IT Spokesperson

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

MEDIA STATEMENT

Labour to Fight New Telco Laws and Secretive Process

Labour will fight the government’s new telco laws and has slammed the government for its secretive drafting process and intention to ram them through into law without proper scrutiny, Labour’s Communications and IT Spokesperson Clare Curran and Finance Spokesperson David Cunliffe said today.

“Labour strongly opposes moves to truncate the hearing of submissions into just one week this week, despite the Bill not being required back in the House until June,” David Cunliffe said.

“In yet another abuse of democratic process, the government has orchestrated that this week the select committee hearing submissions on this complex and troublesome Bill only allow submitters 10 minutes each to present their case, without adequate time to prepare, Labour's Finance Spokesperson and former Communications Minister David Cunliffe said

“Accordingly, Labour has no confidence in the ability of the select committee process to address the key issues in the Bill.

“It is now clear that the government intends to rush through the Bill through and the select committee process is merely for show,” David Cunliffe said.

"The impact of the Christchurch earthquake on our telecommunications sector and wider infrastructure issues should be a reason to take more time to properly consider the impact of these new laws which give the government almost unfettered power over its new network,” Clare Curran said.

"If the reason for pushing them through in such a tight timeframe is to get the broadband deals sewn up before the 26 November election, then that's not a good enough reason. This is taxpayers’ money and the government did not have a mandate to make such sweeping changes to the telecommunications industry.

“We believe that this legislation is wrong in principle. The government should be very careful of entering into long term contracts on such an important piece of infrastructure without widespread consultation and discussion.

“This hasn’t occurred. And Labour fears the outcomes won’t benefit New Zealanders,” Clare Curran said.

“Labour has already stated its opposition to the 10 year regulatory holiday that would prevent the Commerce Commission carrying out its key role to protect the long term interests of end users of telecommunications services,” David Cunliffe said.

“When the industry was already expressing widespread concern about the lack of consultation and debate, the government has responded by seeking to cut short the normal hearing process, showing total disregard for public and industry opinion.”

“That will result in bad law in a crucial sector that should be underpinning New Zealand’s development as a smart, high-tech economy,” David Cunliffe said.

ENDS

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