blog So you’re a new Labor Shadow Minister in the Communications Portfolio, and you’re considering how best to push Labor’s all-fibre NBN policy and stick it to Liberal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Or perhaps you’re a techno-savvy Labor backbencher who wants to get in on the action. What angle should you be taking to take on the Viscount of Vaucluse? On Delimiter 2.0 today (subscriber content), I’ve put some thoughts together. Most of this is fairly obvious stuff, but it’s stuff Labor isn’t doing right now. A sample paragraph:
“To a Federal Labor Party exhausted from several bitter years of internal struggle and a vicious election campaign, it must seem like slipping into Opposition might be a good chance for a hard-earned rest. But the truth is that the long fight to keep one of its key policies intact has just begun. Here’s some ideas for how Labor can take on Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the National Broadband Network issue — and win.”
It may seem like I’m being a little partisan here in suggesting tips to one side of politics about how to defeat the other. However, I would remind readers of two facts: Firstly, Labor’s NBN policy, although it was poorly executed and actually failed over its lifetime, is still a better, more promising policy than everything the Coalition has come up with so far. And secondly, I’ve been around a long time: Long enough to know that a weak Opposition isn’t good for anyone. Labor has done jack squat over the past several months (with the exception of a decent speech by Ed Husic) in the Communications portfolio. I’d like to see the party get off its fat, lazy, donut-loving ass and start sticking it to the new Coalition Government on this issue. It’s time, Labor. Stop snoozing.