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July 26 2010

Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, Australians have a Federal election fast approaching on August 21 which is just next month. There are many issues up for the discussion at the moment, from health to taxes, but probably the most important issue for all Australians to keep up with the 21st century is communication. Not only is it the back bone of business, it's also a vital component in providing health reforms, building better education for all Australians, and future proofing Australia as an economically viable place to do business.

The National Broadband Network is the election promise of the current Labor government. On offer is high speed broadband from one end of the country to the other, and the best effort yet at bridging the digital divide between the city slickers and tier country cousins. The incredibly frustrating thing is, that regardless of who we vote for on August 21, the NBN will be tarnished by either side of politics.

Labor has it in it's sights to fulfill the previous election promise of filtering the internet from nasty sites, based on a refused classification list from the OFLC. This list is now itself embroiled in controversy as Stephen Conroy has now delayed the implementation of the filter, based on concerns about the list. In the Liberal Party camp, Tony Abbott will take the axe to the $43 billion NBN as the Liberal Party plans to cuts Government spending by $10 billion in an effort to pay off the debt accumulated by Kevin Rudd's government through fiscal stimulus measures designed to keep the Australian economy out of recession during the global financial crisis.

So if communications in Australia is to remain progressive and competitive in the current world economic climate, who's going to earn your respect? Labor – who wants to build a NBN on one hand and then filter it with the next, or the Coalition who wants to kill it and is still yet to provide any form of alternative?

Well, there may be good news in the wind, as it looks like the Liberal Party's move to crush the National Broadband Network has suffered a blow with the Greens pledging to support the legislation in the Senate and block a private sell-off.

Crystal ball gazers say the Greens could hold nine of the 76 Senate seats following the next Federal election on 21 August, giving them the balance of power with some predicting the Greens could even win a senate seat from each state after the election next month. As well, for the first time in Green history, they may even win a seat in the house of reps. It's also worth mentioning Australia's two party preferred electoral system at this stage, where Labor and the Greens are doing, if they haven't done already, a preferential deal.

It's early days yet, and anything may happen, but it looks more and more like the two main parties are going to have to side with the Greens should they want to achieve political supremacy. Who would have thought Bob Brown and his party of environmental do-gooders would keep the bastards honest? Remember, you don't win elections… you lose them.

This week on TTR

• There's hope for the NBN should the Coalition come to power August 21.
• The Optus 2-in-1 SIM Card Makes Upgrading To iPhone 4 Easier,
• Telstra drops price on $200Gb DSL broadband
• Optus flaunting Do Not Call register
• Qantas Introducing Smart Frequent Flyer Cards and
  
• Adam vents over ABC's move to dedicated 24 hour news channel.
  

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