Fritter and waste. The Gillard Labor splurge on a $43 billion National Broadband Network is not only another extravagance but another implementation failure.
Due to the incompetence of the NBN rollout under Labor’s funny boy Stephen CONroy, subcontractors are recklessly cutting through existing phone lines causing extensive disconnection to phone, EFTPOS and internet for hundreds of businesses.
Recently, more than 2400 businesses and residential homes have lost phone and internet services in the safter a National Broadband Network (NBN) Co contractor severed a cable outside the Goodna telephone exchange.
Commuters were unable to use eftpos facilities at service stations at Goodna while a range of other businesses and residents were without service yesterday. The St Ives shopping Centre was the worst hit. PK Computers owner Pat Kilroy was unimpressed.
“We’ve lost all phone, eftpos and internet services. For a computer shop, that is pretty bad,” he said.
Telstra has seen this happening across the country and is taking many weeks and months to reconnect, causing severe hardship to many businesses and households.
Local councillor Paul Tully said he had received numerous complaints of NBN Co contractors abusing householders, blocking roads and driveways and having inadequate traffic controls.
“They have even been starting work early on Sunday mornings waking up entire neighbourhoods. NBN is a nightmare for local residents,” he said.
Taking on an NBN contract is the fastest way to go broke
But trying doing CONroy’s dirty work – the NBN rollout.
CONroy hasn’t got a clue about implementation. She’ll be right! He has turned his back on chronic gouging by major NBN contractors subbying out the cabling to small business subcontractors, underpaying them or otherwise simply not paying them at all.
Some subcontractors have been forced into bankruptcy as a result.
Perth-based telecommunications contractor, said rates being offered in Western Australia – where Syntheo, a joint venture between Lend Lease and Service Stream, is handling the rollout – were “easily 30 per cent below the market”.
“They’ve (Syntheo) thrown contracts in front of me three times and I’ve sent it back all three times saying ‘you’ve got to be joking’,” the contractor said. “I’m in my 50s with no debt, so worst comes to worst, I will lay off my blokes and walk off, but there are a lot of people trapped.
“Over here we have young families who have over-committed themselves buying all the gear to handle the NBN. They have to make the repayments so (the main contractors) are holding them to ransom.”
A South Brisbane-based NBN sub-contractor said yesterday he had invested heavily in buying equipment to secure NBN contracts but the low rates offered meant he was now suffering.
“I’ve got 10 employees but some weeks I can’t pay them, and now I’m down $40,000 in my own savings just to pay them,” he said. “I’ve invested a lot of money in the NBN, but it’s a slow way of going broke. My missus stays up at night and cries.”
The low rates being offered by the main contractors are one of the key reasons for delays in the program to date, with many sub-contractors refusing to work for the rates on offer. Another major concern with the low rates being offered is the impact it is having on the quality of work performed.
The south-Brisbane contractor said Silcar, a joint venture between Siemens and Thiess Australia which is handling the NBN rollout in the eastern states, was offering rates as low as 60 per cent of those in a normal market.
NBN Gagging Intimidation
Even worse! NBN subcontractors are being lent on to sign Gagging Confidentiality Clauses to stop them talking publicly about the NBN undercutting scam and intimidation.
CONroy’s legal heavies have demanded all involved “need to get approval from NBN Co for everything we say.”
Syntheo, the largest contractor handling the rollout of the National Broadband Network, is forcing its subcontractors to sign strict gag orders preventing them from discussing the project. The Lend Lease-Service Stream joint venture has expressly prevented subcontractors from discussing the NBN.
They are also reportedly required to obtain similar “confidentiality undertakings” from any party they deal with in relation to the project.
CONroy’s NBN Undercutting Scam is no different to Gillard’s 457 Visa Scam.
Subcontractors have even joined a union to help represent them. In Western Australia, telecommunications union boss John O’Donnell has teaming up with more than 100 small-business operators handling CONroy’s NBN rollout.
“We’ve had four companies hit the wall already because of their involvement with the NBN.”
The whole scam industry should be unionised! And this is under a Labor Government – one supposedly fiunanced by $9 million in electoral donations by the CMFEU.
So its Labor’s failed Pink Batts, Green Loans, Educatioin Revolution rollout disaster all over again.
Whatever the Gillard touches, announces, turns to shite!
