Independent MPs join clamour by Greens and the Coalition for immediate release of NBN plan
The federal government is now feeling the heat of a growing cross-party demand that details of the national broadband network business plan be made public this week as independent MPs added their voice on the snowballing clamour.
The NBN has been submitted by NBN Co to the Communications Ministry as early as last week but the government deferred its release pending its scrutiny by the cabinet and some tweaks that would hide contents not intended to be seen by the public eye.
The decision to delay the release, however, earned the ire of the Australian Greens Party, which insisted that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy owe it to the Australian public to be updated on the project, which they were both stakeholders and shareholders since the undertaking would be funded by taxpayers' money.
And now, independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor joined the bandwagon of lawmakers who wish to appraise the 400-plus document prior to the parliament's summer-long break.
Also, independent Mr Rob Oakeshott hinted that he may have to support the suggestion of opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull of submitting the NBN business plan under the scrutiny of the Productivity Commission if the federal government maintains its stubborn stand of holding off the release of the plan.
Mr Oakeshott said that the government must listen to the urgency of the public plea as represented by the parliament for the NBN plan to be made public so that the pronouncements being attached on the project could finally be gleaned by most Australians.
He said that the federal government should not be wary of anticipated debate that would ensue once the documents has been released, especially if the government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard is confident enough that the NBN plan is mostly laced with good news that benefit the public.
On his part, Mr Windsor said that the federal government must give the parliament a chance to appreciate the NBN plan prior to its submission for a Senate vote considering the feedbacks lawmakers are getting about the reputed good data that the document contains.