Telecommunications: 3g Mobile Network Shutdown

Malcolm Roberts

ROBERTS () (): I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 579, standing in my name for today, relating to an order for the production of documents and an attendance by a minister.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on 14 August 2024, order for production of documents no. 567 was agreed to by the Senate, requiring the Minister representing the Minister for Communications to table the government response to the interim report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee on the shutdown of the 3G mobile network by no later than midday on Monday, 19 August 2024, and

(ii) the Government's response does not indicate any intention to impose a condition on the shutdown;

(b) requires the Minister representing the Minister for Communications to attend the Senate after motions to take note of answers on Wednesday, 21 August 2024 to provide an explanation, of no more than 5 minutes, of why the Government has failed to place a single condition on the 3G mobile network shutdown;

(c) any senator may move to take note of the explanation required by paragraph (b); and

(d) any motion under paragraph (c) may be debated for no longer than 30 minutes, shall have precedence over all business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.

Anthony Chisholm

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm

The motion in question was originally drafted on the premise that the response to the order for the production of documents number No. 567 was not compliant with the Senate's request. That is not correct. The order was complied with. The government response to the interim report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee's inquiry into the shutdown of 3G was tabled. Telstra and Optus plan to switch off their 3G networks from 31 August and 1 September, respectively, but have delayed their switch-offs to 28 October 2024, which is welcomed.

The now amended motion is unnecessary, given the transparency afforded to the Senate through the interim response. Furthermore, any decision to take regulatory action in relation to the 3G shutdown is a matter of administrative law, and it is not appropriate to pre-empt it through a debate in the Senate. In addition, the 3G shutdown inquiry has already been debated through the Senate committee, and the recommendations are under active consideration by government. The government will not support this motion, on the basis of the above.

Sue Lines

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 579, standing in the name of Senator Roberts, as amended be agreed to.