In an interview for the ages with Ben Fordham on 2GB this morning, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has made shocking admissions about the mobile black spots scandal.
After an evasive exchange in which the Minister repeatedly refused to answer questions, she finally:
ADMITTED that she had personally chosen every location in the Improving Mobile Coverage Round of the Mobile Black Spot Program.
AGREED that none of the locations chosen were selected on the basis of advice from officials in the Department of Communications.
The Minister refused to accept that her conduct amounted to pork-barrelling, despite the fact that 27 out of the 27 locations she chose in NSW were all in Labor electorates.
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said that the interview provided a startling insight into the scandal.
“This interview was an absolute shocker,” Mr Coleman said.
“Minister Rowland desperately tried to avoid answering questions, but finally made very serious admissions. After weeks of stonewalling, the Minister has acknowledged that she personally designed what was clearly a politically-motivated list of mobile black spots.
“This is a blatant breach of the trust placed in her by taxpayers to administer their funds. There are very serious questions about the conduct of this Minister. This interview demonstrates why my push for a Senate inquiry into this affair was important and why Labor and the Greens were wrong to oppose it.”
The Hon. David Coleman MP
Federal Member for Banks
Shadow Minister for Communications