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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINSITER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE
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TOPICS:  ACCC inquiry into regional telecommunications, mandatory domestic roaming, mobile connectivity investment, Labor’s gambling bill

SARA

Well, turning to federal politics and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will consider forcing telcos to provide services to rival customers whose networks are not available. The consideration of what's known as mandatory domestic roaming is part of a broader year-long inquiry into regional mobile phone coverage. Anne Webster is the Shadow Minister for Regional Communications and Regional Health and joins me now. Anne Webster, welcome back to Breakfast.

WEBSTER

Thank you, Sally. Great to be with you.

SARA

What's your view here? Does the opposition believe that the case for mandatory domestic roaming has been made effectively?

WEBSTER

Look, from our point of view, Sarah Henderson and I, she's the Shadow for Comms, for those who don't know, we're absolutely on the same page. We believe that people in regional areas ought to be able to have access to what people in the city just expect: if your phone drops out, and I did a long run yesterday, I did a very long run actually from Sydney, finally to home first thing yesterday morning and then drove down to the Speed Field Days. Classic case, very little connectivity on the way on a major highway. Having to turn on my little Starlink on the car and then car Apple Play drops out. Look, it's just a nightmare. So, living out in the regions, we get used to the fact that we can't call… Triple Zero failures impact us enormously out in the regions and since the 3G shutdown, there are still many communities and Newbridge, Llanelly, that area has a blackout that has been going on since the 3G shutdown. There are towers … it's a complicated space so, for people who don't understand, If there is a Telstra tower and you happen to be with Optus, you're not going to get signal. You can't actually make a call, even though there's a tower right in front of your face. Likewise in reverse and of course TPG customers rely on the Optus towers as well as having some infrastructure themselves. Since Labor have got in, they have cut the mobile black spot funding program. What does that mean? It means that Telstra, Optus and others are not going to be putting any investment into new towers in places where it's commercially not viable for them. So therefore the government steps in or there is market failure. The government hasn't stepped in. So, we are left in the dark, high and dry as usual.

SARA

So, this idea of mandatory domestic roaming has been raised before, now the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and the National Farmers Federation say it should be introduced. Do you understand some of the criticism that's been raised of this proposal previously?

WEBSTER

Oh, well, I've spoken to Telstra. I know there are no fans, you know, no surprise there. And I know they're lurking around the corridors of Parliament trying to have people understand their point of view about commercial viability and fair market play and so on, which is why it's important that the ACCC has come out and said that they will now review, I believe this is their third review, so 2017 was their last - where they didn't justify - mobile mandatory mobile domestic roaming, where people can jump from one tower to another, so basically you signal if there are enough towers of course, doesn't drop out. And then of course we've got satellites coming on board. So, everything is shifting, we are in a space of transition. The government is refusing to look at mandatory domestic roaming. We believe it's absolutely...

SARA

There is going to be a temporary trial isn't there?

WEBSTER

I actually don't believe that's so but you can certainly inform me of that.

SARA

I understand there's expected to be in place a temporary disaster roaming, expected to be in place.

WEBSTER

A temporary disaster - yeah, so that's literally for disasters so that obviously Triple Zero can work. We're talking about every day.

SARA

That's right. Just a couple of other issues. On the federal government's gambling reforms, your colleague, Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson, says the opposition won't be supporting what she's described as deficient legislation in its current form. And the ABC is reporting today that Labor might consider shelving its proposed reforms rather than agree to substantially change the bill. What's the risk that you'll end up empty handed with this?

WEBSTER

Well, you know, you always have to weigh that up, don't you? Is it better to have a deficient bill? - and there are plenty of deficiencies in this bill - or to wait and implement something that has been thoroughly reviewed, thoroughly investigated. What we have at the moment is simply a two day Senate inquiry. Two days. I mean, I don't think most people I don't think it passes the pub test. But even in that two day Senate inquiry, it was very clear that this bill is not going to achieve what the The PM says he wants to achieve, which we don't want kids raising up thinking that footy and gambling are the same thing. Well, at the moment they are. And there are plenty of those anecdotes out there where kids are talking about odds on and odds off in a footy game. Like it's just not okay. And I note Simon Kennedy's comments yesterday, you know, in the US, there are no gambling ads. all the way through the game. This bill that the Labor government are wanting to introduce fails to stop the current state of play, so to speak, happening. And ads will continue in children's prime time TV. They will continue right up to five minutes before the game. And, you know, they'll be able to do gambling ads When there's a goal scored, which currently does not exist, so to answer your question, will this bill make it better or worse? It will make it worse. If gambling ads are going to increase because of this bill, that's a fail, an absolute fail. I remember walking into the RSL here in Mildura where I'm based to meet with the RSL people and I noted a 19-year-old son of people that I know in his work shirt playing the pokies. during the day at 9 a.m. in the morning it was .. it just fills me with grief. We've got a real problem.

SARA

Anne Webster, thank you for joining me this morning.

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