14 June 2016
E&EO..
LEON BYNER:
Earlier today, we reported to you, that recruiters for the national broadband network have angered local workers, that is, Australian workers by seeking Ireland nationals come to Australia, and take up jobs on the multi-billion dollar project. Now, information given to us suggests that there are job interviews taking place in Dublin this month. Experience in copper cable joining a must, and understanding of telco infrastructure a plus. Now, if that’s happening we clearly do not have, one would presume, the sufficient skill within our own country. Now, we had about an hour ago, Jill Bottrall, who’s the corporate spokesperson for NBN, who said that of that’s happening, and she’s not aware that it is, but if it is then it’s not NBN its one of their subcontractors. Let’s talk with the Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield. Mitch, thanks for being available today. What is your understanding of this story?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well thanks, Leon, I appreciate the opportunity. Look, it’s not NBN that is seeking to recruit overseas. And there isn’t a recruitment company seeking to do so on behalf of the organisation. NBN has a really big focus on training and engaging Australians. NBN has set up a $40 million fund which is precisely to make sure that Australians are trained to work for NBN as an organisation but also so that Australians are trained to work for subcontractors. The organisation has paid for the training of about 550 Australians to date. So NBN as an organisation is very focused on making use of the talent and ability we have right here.
LEON BYNER:
Yes, because you see, there are some interesting quotes in this article and I did send to one of your colleagues today so that you would have an opportunity to, to comment, that there are interviews coming up this month and one of the unions, in fact, has said that this is sending NBN jobs offshore. Now, is it one of the subcontractors of the NBN or is that totally separate?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Oh, look, Leon, NBN have about ten prime subcontractors and what they do to engage the workforce that they need is a matter for them. So I’m, I’m not aware of what subcontractors may or may not …
LEON BYNER:
… But if NBN subcontracts a company to do a job, sure there would, if you’re telling us that the criteria is to employ locally, wouldn’t that be a criteria stipulated to them? Not so?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, NBN is doing what it can through a $40 million fund to make money available not just to NBN but also for those who work for subcontractors to train Australians. So NBN is doing everything that it can. Now, I’m not saying that there mightn’t be circumstances where individual subcontractors have skills that they can’t source domestically. I can’t make that statement because these are businesses that run themselves. But NBN, for its part, are doing everything they possibly can to make sure that money is available to train Australians to work on the project.
LEON BYNER:
Well, according to the Communications Union, they’re outraged by ads which are being run in Dublin, calling a pitch to Irish backpackers to come and do work.
MITCH FIFIELD:
I’m aware of what the Union has said but, as I say Leon, this isn’t an activity that NBN themselves are undertaking.
LEON BYNER:
So, so you would argue that it’s, it’s not for NBN or its subcontractors, its separate?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Look, Leon, I don’t know whether it’s an NBN subcontractor. But what I can tell you is NBN is not looking to engage people overseas. NBN is putting its efforts into recruiting people for itself here in Australia but also making $40 million available to help train Australians to work for either NBN or the subcontractors.
LEON BYNER:
Just quickly, the Communications opposite of you, Jason Clare, made a statement only hours ago that NBN have brought 10,000 metres of new copper and he’s arguing that’s enough to link Penrith to Russia. Why would we be doing that?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, it’s a colourful analogy on the part of Jason. But with the approach that the NBN has taken we’re using a range of technologies, which is one of the reasons we’ll be rolling the NBN out much sooner, much faster than the Australian Labor Party. Labor confirmed yesterday that Australians would have to wait at least two years longer, and pay $8 billion more.
But what’s happening is this. With what’s called fibre-to-the-node, the existing copper connection to the house, for that last bit, is used. But there’s also copper which is put in place between the pillar, as it’s known, and the node in the street. The NBN isn’t replacing the copper that connects to people’s houses. But they do need to put some copper in, as I say, between the node and the pillar.
I understand a number of your callers have been talking about holes having to be drilled in the wall of their places and their front yards having to be dug up. That’s actually what has happened and is happening as a result of Labor’s fibre-to-the-premises. Labor’s fibre-to-the-premises requires serious civil works at people’s places, turning people’s places into construction sites. By taking the fibre-to-the-node approach and using that last bit of copper to someone’s house, we’re able to avoid all of that disruption to individuals. So the NBN is rolled out faster as a result and also the cost of using fibre-to-the-node is about half that of fibre-to-the-premises under Labor, and you still get superfast speeds. So what we’re doing will see the NBN rolled out much faster, with less disruption to people’s houses and at significantly less cost.
LEON BYNER:
Alright, Mitch Fifield, thank you for calling in this morning. So, he says that any recruitment overseas is not NBN’s issue, it’s their subcontractors, and they put up $40 million to train locals where possible. But the word I’m getting is that one of the reasons that this is happening is because there are not enough qualified people within Australia, which then brings us to the training question that we’ve often talking about.
[ends]