Chauvel Charles: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chauvel Charles: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:641;Page:11434] 
8.  
CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Communications 
: Has he received any further reports on broadband in New Zealand? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Communications) 
: 
 Yes. I have seen a report in the  
New Zealand Herald  
on Saturday 18 August headed “Ringing the changes”. The article states: “the brave new world of competition is finally upon us.” It refers to the many positive changes occurring under this Labour-led Government. It goes on to say: “Consumers should brace themselves for … more deals that bundle together mobile land line and broadband … faster and flasher services for computers and mobile phones.” This is brought about by local loop unbundling and results in cheaper competitive services being offered by Orcon Vodafone and TelstraClear which is emerging as a third serious competitor in the mobile market. 
Charles Chauvel 
: What initiatives has he recently introduced to consolidate and drive forward the Government’s telecommunications revolution and what are the implications of these moves? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: There is more good news. I have recently announced a mega-auction of wireless broadband spectrum that will result in better and cheaper services to rural New Zealand in particular. We have also announced a first-principles review of the old Kiwi share obligation now known as the Telecom service obligation to enhance rural and provincial broadband services. The result will be faster cheaper broadband for all New Zealanders. Given the Government’s efforts to bring competition to the market there will soon be no need for people to piggyback illegally off their neighbours’ broadband services as has been reported by Chris Keall on the  
PC World 
 web page on 27 July as occurring in Parnell around the household of one John Key. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: I seek leave to table three documents. The first is a target of New Zealand being in the top half of the OECD. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: The second is the OECD table showing that when the Government came to power we were actually 20th. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: The third is the OECD document of recent times showing we have dropped to 22nd. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I seek leave to table a page from a weblog called “Chris Keall Daily” that draws attention to the problem of inappropriate piggybacking of neighbours’ broadband. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I seek leave to table an article from the  
New Zealand Herald  
of 18 August 2007 highlighting improved competition in broadband. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I seek leave to table an article in today’s  
New Zealand Herald  
headed “Telcos want chance to serve all customers” complimenting the Government on— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I seek leave to table an article from the  
Dominion 
Post 
 on 20 August that compliments the Government on its telecommunications service obligation review. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table a Treasury report of May 1998 in which Treasury recommended the end of Telecom’s monopoly which Maurice Williamson and the then National Party sought—for their own reasons which are beyond me—to stall ever since. 
Document not tabled.