Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - Sky News - Trudy McIntosh- Thursday 9 July 2026

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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

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TOPICS: Telstra outage, emergency calls, ACMA fine, regional disruptions, train delays, contingency planning, Telstra customer impact, service restoration, CEO accountability

McIntosh  

It appears to be radio silence this morning from Telstra as to where we are at with this major outage. There are continuing disruptions, concerns with connections to triple zero, let alone what we're seeing in terms of the impact to rail networks. I'm joined now by the Shadow Regional Communications Minister, Anne Webster, and what's your assessment on how Telstra has handled this?

Webster  

Well, I think we could ... it's fair to say that they're in panic mode. They know that there is an obligation now under ACMA that they could be fined $30 million if emergency calls cannot be made. Clearly, we've had 24 hours of disruption. I've certainly been contacted by Telstra, and thank them for that information, which would be the same that you have, I'm sure, Trudy. Over 500 concerned people who have tried to contact Emergency Triple Zero, and over 300 who are now in process of being called back because the secondary issues continue today. It also concerns me, of course, as it does everybody who lives in the regions, that trains are disrupted, that I certainly spent all of yesterday with no phone able to function, and for all of us who have loved ones anywhere, who are going through a difficult circumstance, let alone businesses who couldn't access EFTPOS, people closing their doors in an already difficult business environment. This is a disruption Telstra just simply did not need, and they need to come up quickly with how this is going to be prevented going forward.

McIntosh  

They claimed yesterday that around 90 per cent of their services were back online, but do you buy that? Do we just have to believe what they tell us when they say that that's what's happening if it's not people's real life experience?

Webster  

Well, when I read that, Trudy, I went: I don't think so. I don't think so.  Where's the evidence that 90 per centof people who have a Telstra connection were able to connect? I think it's a number, frankly, that was plucked out of thin air. It certainly was not functioning when they said that. I thought, oh, we should be able to get through with some calls at least. No, no, absolutely not. I couldn't receive or make calls right through to last night, so I don't know where that 90 per cent was, but I was certainly dubious when I heard it,

McIntosh  

Anne I'm baffled by the flow on impact we're seeing for V-Line trains. Understandable yesterday when there was the major outage at the time, but why a day later are we still having such problems getting the trains back? Does this demonstrate that we need to have more contingencies on crucial transport networks that it can't go down on something so reliable normally as Telstra?

Webster  

Look, absolutely, Trudy, I think contingency planning - there seems to be a lack of it. Can I just say that this is up to the Telstra board to ensure that these situations and risk is mitigated on an ongoing basis. And when it comes to train stopping, we've got freight stopping, coal stopping, passengers stopping in the Hunter and Southern Highlands, as well as in V-Line Victoria, and I'm from a community that doesn't have a train six hours from Melbourne. Like, honestly, this is - it's bad on multiple fronts for people who live out in the regions.

McIntosh  

Can I ask you about the Telstra CEO, Vicky Brady? I know everyone's allowed to have a holiday, we get it. Minister Anika Wells, she came back yesterday when this happened. Would you urge the Telstra CEO to come back to the country and front up here? We haven't heard from Telstra, as far as I can tell today.

Webster  

Look, I'm thinking the same way that you are, that when you are the CEO, you get paid the big bucks for a reason. My understanding is that she is trying to get back now. What that means, what the practicalities of that are ... who knows? Anika Wells certainly could not afford to be away. She had to come back, given last year's efforts and her travel issues. She's got a lot of pressure on her to turn up, show up, and fix the situation, and to get reports from ACMA and Telstra about what are happening, and inform.

McIntosh  

Australians we have a right to know. And Webster, I'm gonna have to leave it there. Thanks for your time today.

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