Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCurran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 05 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14323. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) to theMinister for Communications and Information Technology: Will the Government abide by the final Unbundled Bitstream Access Service Price Review determination issued by the Commerce Commission today?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications and Information Technology): Following the announcement this morning of the Commerce Commission’s final Unbundled Bitstream Access (UBA) price the Government is currently working through the implications of that decision and has not made any decisions.Clare Curran: Given the Commerce Commission’s final price determination announced today followed “to the letter of the law” a process set down in 2011 in the Government’s own legislation will the Government enforce its contract with Chorus and tell it to get on with the job of rolling out ultra-fast broadband according to the price and conditions negotiated under that contract?Hon AMY ADAMS: We expect all parties to perform their contractual obligations with the Government and to date all of the local fibre company partners have been doing that very well.Clare Curran: Does the Government’s ultra-fast broadband contract with Chorus contain an expectation by Chorus that the copper price would be held at a certain level above the price announced today by the Commerce Commission?Hon AMY ADAMS: I have no knowledge of any such provision.Clare Curran: If Chorus cannot deliver on the negotiated contract and continues to press for Government intervention in the price of copper or for the Government to give it more money to roll out fibre will the Government declare that Chorus has defaulted on the contract and re-tender it?Hon AMY ADAMS: As I said in the answer to the primary question the Government has not made any decisions. What I will say is that the concern for the Government is not about Chorus. The concern for the Government is about ensuring that the end-users of telecommunication services in New Zealand get access to high-quality high-speed and world-leading telecommunications. That is what we are committed to and that is what we are determined to see happen.Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Minister agree with recently “Nationalised” pollster and blogger Kiwiblog that the Government should “please please please … don’t just take Chorus’ words for it and make a decision based on a press release.” and instead call in the best independent accountants to verify Chorus’ claims; if so does the Minister’s right hand know what the righter hand is doing?Hon AMY ADAMS: As far as I can even understand the member’s question I can assure that member that the Government does not make decisions based on press releases which is why we are now as I have said carefully working through the implications of the pricing decision. We will do that very carefully before we make any decision. Can I reiterate to that member that our concern is to ensure that New Zealand gets access to ultra-fast fibre communications because that is what is in the long-term interests of New Zealand. That is our focus in that regard and that has always been our focus. But if that member is alleging that Chorus is making its numbers up—and I think comments to that effect have been made—then I would suggest that that is a very serious allegation. Chorus are under very strong disclosure obligations. If that is a concern that he has then he should raise that with the appropriate authorities.