Fed: Coonan encouraged by Trujillo's $5bn bush plan =2 Canberra

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2005
Fed: Coonan encouraged by Trujillo's $5bn bush plan =2 Canberra

Senator Coonan also rejected reported claims that Australia's telecommunications services
lagged well behind other developed countries.

She said there were more than 1.8 million connections to internet broadband services
in Australia, including 600 rural and regional communities, under the government's HiBIS
subsidy scheme.

But Senator Coonan could not say if she could stick to her plan to introduce the government's
Telstra sale legislation to parliament this month.

"The sale legislation will be introduced at an appropriate time," she said.

"There's still a possibility that it could be introduced in August.

"I wouldn't discount it, but there's a lot of other issues that need to be addressed
in connection with the actual sale legislation."

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KEYWORD: TELSTRA COONAN 2 CANBERRA

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