Telstra hammers ‘ramshackle’ Terria over funding
15 October 2008 05:10PM
Tags:
telstra | terria | nbn | broadband
Telstra has come out swinging at the Terria consortium claiming it has no assets, money, plan or ‘intention of ever participating in the construction process for the National Broadband Network’.
Responding to a report in The Australian, Telstra Public Policy and Communication Group Managing Director David Quilty leveled a range of accusations at its rival.
Quilty called Terria’s admission that it had not been able to secure funding due to the current tough financial landscape ‘embarrassing’ and ‘the latest chapter in Terria's tale of financial woe’.
Moreover, he claimed it could mean further unnecessary delays for the NBN.
"Terria is an $8 shelf company, with no assets, no financial plan and no funding. It cannot be trusted with a project as critical as the National Broadband Network," Quilty barked.
"Taxpayers cannot afford to face the real risk of having to bail out Terria from financial difficulties a couple of years down the track.”
Quilty continued his tirade against Terria, calling them a ‘ramshackle outfit’.
"It is time for the great pretender to show us the money or get out of the way,” Quilty said.
"If they don't have their finances secured, then why are we delaying the build for a moment longer?”