SLIM RETURNS ON BROADBAND NETWORK
The National Broadband Network is at risk of never making a profit because of competition from mobile networks, the company’s chief executive Bill Morrow has told Fairfax papers. The company is required to eventually turn a profit and repay government loans, though Morrow predicts the government will either have to regulate to the company’s advantage or put more money into the scheme.
“We collect about $43 per month from retail service providers for each home they sell into. In order to recover costs we need $52,” he said.
It’s looking like a painful week for those still at the network, with Four Corners set to probe the massive infrastructure project in tonight’s episode — and multiple negative stories running in national papers this morning.
Among them, both Fairfax and News Corp have obtained data revealing the most expensive installation locations in the country. Top of the list is a $91,196 installation for a house in Tasmania, which The Australian reports would take 146 years of fees for the cost to be recouped.
SHINZO RETURNS
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has secured his position after ruling parties performed strongly at the weekend’s election. The Coalition led by Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party is predicted to have won a two-thirds super-majority in the lower house of Japan’s national parliament, opening the way for the unpopular leader to push ahead with his agenda in the face of divided opposition.
The decision to call an early election had been seen as a risky strategy for Abe, who has been dogged by allegations of cronyism, and has led the country for nearly five years. In the end, escalating tensions with North Korea and economic policy likely aided Abe.
The result, which will be finalised later today, means it is likely debate about Japan’s pacifist constitution will dominate politics in coming years. Abe proposes altering the document to clarify that Japan is allowed to maintain a self-defence military, though critics argue his changes would lead to re-militarisation. In order to alter the constitution, a referendum would be required.
The Czech Republic also had legislative elections over the weekend, with outsiders and far-right groups doing well. The party of eurosceptic populist billionaire Andrej Babis easily came out on top, with far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party also performing well, despite the country’s low migration rate and solid employment figures.
STATE OF THE STATES
New South Wales and Victoria continue to outperform the rest of Australia economically, with the pair dominating CommSec’s “State of the States” scorecard. With Victoria now performing strongly in construction work and population growth, it could be on track to overtake NSW over the next year or so, according to CommSec chief economist Craig James.
Western Australia is the worst performing state economically, falling behind the national average on most indicators.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Corporate penalties for wrongdoing to be tripled
Activist group GetUp! readies for court battle against Coalition investigation
Vic euthanasia bill faces hostile upper house
Coalition for Marriage’s Safe Schools ad deemed too rude
The plan to split Sydney into three
Mark Latham fell off stage & took the entire goon squad down with him
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Sydney: Former prime minister Kevin Rudd discusses Australia’s relationship with Asian nations at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. In the evening, he will launch his new autobiography Not for the Faint-Hearted.
Sydney: Hearing for Chris Gayle’s defamation case against Fairfax Media, which allegedly falsely suggested Gayle exposed himself to a woman.
Hobart: DJ Astro Labe to face court over alleged headbutt of Tony Abbott.
THE COMMENTARIAT
Ignorant broadcaster ABC is guilty of soft treason — Jennifer Oriel (The Australian $): “The only thing worse than North Korea’s missile porn is the possibility that Kim will acquire nuclear power and make the West pay. We had better hope his losing streak lasts because Australia’s military preparedness underwhelms and soft treason is rising through the ranks.”
How low will Tony Abbott go? This low — Karen Brooks (The Daily Telegraph $): “Abbott states he’s ‘honoured’ to be invited to speak to this group again. Really? Surely, he understands he’s not only legitimating the ADF and all they stand for by appearing, but aligning himself with their beliefs and practices as well.”
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF FRIDAY
Bishop demonstrates that when in a hole, it’s best to stop digging — Bernard Keane: “Fighting with journalists on Twitter isn’t merely a bad look, it suggests that lingering, long-term sense that Bishop’s judgement isn’t all it should be is a valid one. That lack of judgement led her into picking a fight with New Zealand in an effort to distract from the debacle of Barnaby Joyce in the first place.”
The targets-in-chief: elites, academics, social reformers, media enemies, leftists and pussy feminists — Emily Watkins: “Academic and journalist Margaret Simons was first targeted over her reporting (for Crikey) on The Australian’s coverage of a scandal involving the Australian Federal Police, and again when she made a submission to the Finkelstein media inquiry. The inquiry also triggered a still-ongoing campaign against Matthew Ricketson, a former journalist, academic and member of the inquiry. “
Why has the euthanasia debate been less feral than that of marriage equality? — Max Chalmers: “One staffer who works for a pro-euthanasia MP in NSW — where new laws are also being debated — told Crikey they are inundated with fury over issues like marriage equality and the Safe Schools program (which has already been dropped in the state) while objections to euthanasia are not accompanied by the same “fire and brimstone shit”. Various supporters of the Victorian bill said they had not seen other conservative talking points about identity politics, free speech, and “cultural Marxism” spill over into the debate.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
Well we all know where the responsibilty lies for the nbn pile of poo, HM A… hole. He’s shaped and coloured it to be a fitting symbol, tribute to his neoliberal enterprise and political skills. God bless him!
If we treated the NBN properly as a piece of national infrastructure, then it does not matter that it won’t pay for itself directly. Do roads pay for themselves? By the logic our government uses, all roads should be private toll roads.
If it were actually a good fast network then it would be a great productivity multiplier for millions of people.
NBN failing to deliver, and mobile broadband better for the punters. It was all in the LNP plan to demolish the NBN. Give all the money to Telstra and Rupert, push their rancid network assets on the public for ongoing maintenance, and allow Telstras mobile network to win. Everything is going to plan, even an additional broadband tax to extract a little more wealth from the commons. It’s too late now, but I hope they get a jolly good beating tonight on 4Corners.