The Communications Minister must heed the concerns of regional consumers in South Australia and elsewhere and put on hold Telstra’s planned CDMA network switch off, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “Poor network coverage, conflicting advice from Telstra on handsets and poor levels of service are all among concerns related to me by South…
A Federal Labor MP’s attempts to claim credit for driving a water plan being held up by the Rann Government were laughable, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. In his latest newsletter, Labor MP Steve Georganas says he “…has ignited State Government interest in a water plan that would provide as much as…
Senator Simon Birmingham today called for ongoing monitoring of the impact on rural and regional Australians of Telstra switching off its CDMA mobile phone network later this month. It follows today’s decision by the Communications Minister to allow closure of the network on 28 April, on the basis that Telstra had met the…
Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham has described State and Territory Labor Governments, including in his own South Australia, as “weak and gutless” for their failure to bring Victoria into line in supporting comprehensive national management of the Murray-Darling Basin. Speaking during today’s hearings of the Senate Environment Committee into the Water Bill 2007, Senator…
Senator Simon Birmingham said today the Rann Labor Government’s belated commitment for a water recycling project that will save thousands of litres of wastewater being pumped out to sea was better late than never. A multi-million dollar project for the wider reuse of water from the Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant, including watering the…
Coalition Senators have stated their opposition to a Bill enabling the Rudd Government to raid the $2 billion regional Communications Fund in order to fund its election promise of an ill-defined National Broadband Network, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Coalition Senators have issued a dissenting report on the inquiry by the Senate Standing…
Senator Simon Birmingham has accused Environment Minister Peter Garrett of stalling in a bid to avoid scrutiny over the impact of the Rudd Government’s new means test on solar rebates. It follows confirmation Mr Garrett instructed his Department to pull out of appearing at today’s Senate Committee first hearings into the impact of…
The Rudd Government must use today’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting to make decisions that deliver immediate certainty for the solar industry, Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham said today. With support for solar installations listed as an agenda item for today’s meeting in Perth, Senator Birmingham said the Rudd Government also needed to…
Melissa Parke, Member for Fremantle, and Chair of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF, and Senator Simon Birmingham, the Association’s Deputy Chair have called on concerned Australians to donate to UNICEF’s emergency appeal in order to provide life saving essentials for those affected by Cyclone Nargis. Donations can be made by visiting www.unicef.org.au or…
South Australian Senator Simon Birmingham has labelled the last minute withdrawal by Environment Department officials from today’s hearings into the impact of the new means test on solar rebates as disgraceful and contemptuous. “Does Minister Garrett really have so much to hide that he needs to pull his officials from attending these hearings…