Regional Australians not a priority for Albanese Labor Government in Triple Zero reforms

Wednesday 8 October 2025

The Albanese Labor Government blocked The Nationals’ attempt to ensure rural, regional and remote Australians got a specific focus from the legislated Triple Zero Custodian today, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications Dr Anne Webster MP said today.

“I moved amendments this morning to the Government’s bill to ensure regional Australians are not left hanging again by another Triple Zero outage,” Dr Webster said.

“Sadly, the Government was not interested in a specific focus on abysmal regional connectivity and, yet again, told Parliament it’s their way or the highway.”

The Government Bill was a belated response to the second Optus outage on Labor’s watch, which this time claimed 4 lives. The Bill implemented a recommendation an independent review made 18 months ago to legislate a Triple Zero Custodian to investigate and monitor triple zero outages.  The Bill passed the House of Representatives unamended, despite Coalition efforts to strengthen the Bill and establish a public inquiry into the latest outage.  The Coalition’s proposed inquiry would also have publicly investigated the Albanese Government, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and Optus responses to the latest outage.

“Yet again the Albanese Government silenced regional voices by shutting down an inquiry, where regional Australians could have shared their stories of shocking connectivity.

“Even today I am hearing that matters I raised about Telstra Triple Zero connectivity issues are suddenly being urgently addressed by the telco.  

“This is the value the Opposition brings by keeping heat on this very important issue and on the Minister responsible.

Dr Webster moved amendments to the Bill to ensure that the new legislated Custodian examined “the deficiencies in connectivity in rural, regional and remote Australia that put Australians living there at risk from emergency communications services outage events” and investigated “the specific challenges and personal safety risks faced by (regional) Australians”

“Regional Australians live with shocking connectivity and the Albanese Government is relying on dumb luck that there haven’t been any more fatalities from Triple Zero outages to date.

“The Minister needs to be held accountable for a second shocking outage on her watch.”

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