NBN Co is an independent company, off-budget, governed by an independent fiduciary board, but everything must be run by Conroy for approval
Thursday, 30 May 2013
One day we will come to realise the scale of the ineptitude and wanton incompetence that killed young men in electrified ceiling spaces, burnt down houses and handed billions to favoured friends.
Now the thinkers behind pink batts, school halls, East Timor/Malaysia/regional border protection et al bring their skills to the asbestos stored in the telecoms pit in your street. There's a price for watching 5 youtube videos in fast forward all at once and it includes the liberation of asbestos fibres to settle in children's alveoli.
The NBN Co has all the right meetings, governance brochures, policies and processes. And they're all meaningless, because of this:
According to NBN Co’s constitution, the board can only remove the CEO after “consultation” with the federal government, the company’s owner.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has been a strong supporter of Mr Quigley and would be expected to oppose any attempt to replace him. His office declined to comment on the issue. Ms McKenna, Mr Quigley and Senator Conroy hold meetings once a week.
Here's the story in today's AFR from a man who really has pursued the NBN story relentlessly, John McDuling.
McKenna in push to replace NBN chief Quigley
JOHN MCDULING
NBN Co chairman Siobhan McKenna approached fellow directors to test support for chief executive Mike Quigley, a move that has created fresh tensions at the top of the $37.4 billion project.
Ms McKenna, who has been on the board of NBN Co for more than three years, asked other directors and senior staff for their views on Mr Quigley weeks after she became the new chairman in March.
Ms McKenna, who has pledged to take a more activist approach at NBN Co, considered assuming day-to-day responsibilities for running the company as executive chairman until the federal election in September, a move that would have required Mr Quigley to step aside, sources said.
According to NBN Co’s constitution, the board can only remove the CEO after “consultation” with the federal government, the company’s owner.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has been a strong supporter of Mr Quigley and would be expected to oppose any attempt to replace him. His office declined to comment on the issue. Ms McKenna, Mr Quigley and Senator Conroy hold meetings once a week.
Upon assuming the chairmanship, Ms McKenna promised to take a tougher approach in dealing with NBN Co’s senior management team, and to reduce political interference in the largest infrastructure project in Australia’s history, the delivery of universal high-speed internet access.
Meanwhile, back at the street where you live:
Asbestos fears stop NBN work as workplace safety agency investigates
- BY:LAUREN WILSON AND DAVID CROWE
- From:The Australian
- May 30, 2013 12:00AM
FEDERAL workplace safety regulators have ordered work to stop on parts of the National Broadband Network while they escalate an investigation into asbestos safety breaches near homes being connected to the $37.4 billion project.
Workplace safety authority Comcare told The Australian last night that it had issued stop-work orders at several sites and expected to issue more as it examined "poor standards" over asbestos hazards.
Many companies in Australia understand the dangers that Peter Garrett sang of before he got the roofing insulation gig. Most house-renovating chippies don't blunder into liberating asbestos. How could the NBN company with its billions stuff it up so badly?
The scale of the waste, disregard for lives and spin are beyond immediate comprehension. Give it a decade or so I'd say.