Dr LIM - 2000-03-02
For a while now DCIS has been restructuring and has started to outsource much of the work that’s done in information services. Can the minister confirm that the provision of government telecommunication services is now the responsibility of Cable and Wireless Optus?
Member interjecting.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I note the surprise in the Leader of the Opposition’s voice and yet I don’t hear too many questions from the opposition on very important matters of policy and initiatives and endeavours that this government has put in place over the last 12 months and will continue to do so. I think it is an important area ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The member for Arnhem says: ‘Watch my heart’. I would say that the day after I had my operation, when I was still in a critical condition, I was in a healthier state than you are now, Jack, quite frankly. You sit there coughing, spluttering and wheezing. I sincerely fear for your health. I, like you, would suggest that you try to look after your health as I’m trying to do at the moment.
However, I digress. As the honourable member for Greatorex has noted, the Northern Territory government, as we announced last year, took the decision to ask 3 of the major carriers in Australia - Optus, Telstra and also, AAPT - to tender for our voice and data services, which included the Internet. It was the first time a government in Australia had bundled the entire package up together, and we did it for a number of reasons. We wanted to save costs for government, and we also wanted to provide extra business incentives and flow-ons to the rest of the community.
On 14 September last year, we announced that the preferred tender was Cable and Wireless Optus. On 16 December of last year, we signed the contract for 5 years, which can be renewable annually for another 3 years in addition. That particular changeover occurred yesterday, and as at that particular changeover, Cable and Wireless Optus is now responsible for voice and data services for the Northern Territory government.
On the communication side of things, we’ll see a contract of around $110m over the next 5 years. Savings to government will be, at the very basic level, at least $5m a year. It works out to slightly over $100 000 a week that we will save, as a government, on our communications services. But what we are keen to see as a government is for those services, those savings, and those extra services also rolled out to the rest of the community - to the business community and also the general community, both here in Darwin, in Alice Springs and the major centres, and also in remote areas.
We have begun, and certainly Optus itself has begun, trialing satellite services. That is taking place at the moment. Those satellite services, we believe, will be of great benefit, particularly to the major government facilities that are in these remote communities - police, health and education. Most honourable members would understand that satellite technology is certainly the way of the future in that particular area.
But this is the start. Of course, we still have Telstra as the major player in the marketplace, but we are now seeing a greater level of competition than ever before, and that is also one of the positive spin-offs of what we have done here as a government.
In terms of the staff that have swapped from DCIS across to either Optus or some of the associated companies - and there were 24 of those the other day - we had a function here in Parliament House 2 days ago to thank them for their efforts and to wish them all the best in their new endeavours. It was a very up-beat and positive attitude that those members displayed. I place on record my thanks and best wishes for those staff as they begin their new careers.
But this is good news. This is government getting on with attracting extra services to the Northern Territory, providing efficiencies through volume, providing the opportunity for those savings, and extra services to be rolled on to the rest of the community. I thank honourable members on this side. Many have taken a great interest in this, and have asked for briefings on a number of occasions.
I close by again acknowledging the lack of interest by those opposite. Not one question since the announcement, and in fact hardly any questions last year or this year on these most important of issues. We all agree that this is one of the growth areas of the world economy. Not a question from the opposition.
Member interjecting.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I note the surprise in the Leader of the Opposition’s voice and yet I don’t hear too many questions from the opposition on very important matters of policy and initiatives and endeavours that this government has put in place over the last 12 months and will continue to do so. I think it is an important area ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The member for Arnhem says: ‘Watch my heart’. I would say that the day after I had my operation, when I was still in a critical condition, I was in a healthier state than you are now, Jack, quite frankly. You sit there coughing, spluttering and wheezing. I sincerely fear for your health. I, like you, would suggest that you try to look after your health as I’m trying to do at the moment.
However, I digress. As the honourable member for Greatorex has noted, the Northern Territory government, as we announced last year, took the decision to ask 3 of the major carriers in Australia - Optus, Telstra and also, AAPT - to tender for our voice and data services, which included the Internet. It was the first time a government in Australia had bundled the entire package up together, and we did it for a number of reasons. We wanted to save costs for government, and we also wanted to provide extra business incentives and flow-ons to the rest of the community.
On 14 September last year, we announced that the preferred tender was Cable and Wireless Optus. On 16 December of last year, we signed the contract for 5 years, which can be renewable annually for another 3 years in addition. That particular changeover occurred yesterday, and as at that particular changeover, Cable and Wireless Optus is now responsible for voice and data services for the Northern Territory government.
On the communication side of things, we’ll see a contract of around $110m over the next 5 years. Savings to government will be, at the very basic level, at least $5m a year. It works out to slightly over $100 000 a week that we will save, as a government, on our communications services. But what we are keen to see as a government is for those services, those savings, and those extra services also rolled out to the rest of the community - to the business community and also the general community, both here in Darwin, in Alice Springs and the major centres, and also in remote areas.
We have begun, and certainly Optus itself has begun, trialing satellite services. That is taking place at the moment. Those satellite services, we believe, will be of great benefit, particularly to the major government facilities that are in these remote communities - police, health and education. Most honourable members would understand that satellite technology is certainly the way of the future in that particular area.
But this is the start. Of course, we still have Telstra as the major player in the marketplace, but we are now seeing a greater level of competition than ever before, and that is also one of the positive spin-offs of what we have done here as a government.
In terms of the staff that have swapped from DCIS across to either Optus or some of the associated companies - and there were 24 of those the other day - we had a function here in Parliament House 2 days ago to thank them for their efforts and to wish them all the best in their new endeavours. It was a very up-beat and positive attitude that those members displayed. I place on record my thanks and best wishes for those staff as they begin their new careers.
But this is good news. This is government getting on with attracting extra services to the Northern Territory, providing efficiencies through volume, providing the opportunity for those savings, and extra services to be rolled on to the rest of the community. I thank honourable members on this side. Many have taken a great interest in this, and have asked for briefings on a number of occasions.
I close by again acknowledging the lack of interest by those opposite. Not one question since the announcement, and in fact hardly any questions last year or this year on these most important of issues. We all agree that this is one of the growth areas of the world economy. Not a question from the opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016