Fed: Costello says services not shares count in Telstra sale
CANBERRA, Dec 4 AAP - Treasurer Peter Costello today moved to reassure rural votersand National MPs that country phone services were more important than Telstra's shareprice when it came to full privatisation.
Reports today said Mr Costello's earlier comments about wanting to get the best returnfor taxpayers from the sale had sent relations between the Liberal and National Partyto a new low.
Cabinet is still considering its response to the Estens inquiry into regional telecommunications,with National Party MPs opposed to the full sale until services in the bush are up toscratch.
Mr Costello played down the prospect of any sale in the near future and stressed regionalservices were higher on the list of hurdles than the share price.
"What we've said is we will respond to the Estens inquiry and once we've respondedto that and made sure that the services for rural and regional Australia is as required,then we will be putting legislation up," he told reporters.
Mr Costello said the full sale also depended on the state of the Senate, putting considerationsof the share price last.
"We've got Estens, legislation, Senate, and then if you overcome those hurdles, questionsof price," he said.
"It doesn't look to me as if that's all that imminent that the Senate is suddenly goingto see a bolt of light and pass such legislation."
The government needs the support of four extra senators to get laws for the sale ofits remaining 50.1 per cent stake through parliament.
AAP kmh/sw/jmd/bwl
KEYWORD: TELSTRA COSTELLO
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