Fed: Fed Court gives Telstra access to Opel documents

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
Fed: Fed Court gives Telstra access to Opel documents

CANBERRA, Feb 14 AAP - Telstra has been granted access to documents relating to the
Howard government's decision to grant a $958 million rural broadband contract to the Opel
consortium.

Telstra claims the coalition secretly offered Opel, a consortium of rival telco Optus
and Elders, an extra $358 million to the original tender figure of $600 million.

The Federal Court last October dismissed Telstra's application against the then federal
communications minister Helen Coonan to see confidential documents about the tender.

But the Full Bench of the Federal Court of Appeal today allowed Telstra's appeal, overturning
the earlier judgment. The new Labor government did not oppose Telstra's appeal.

Telstra's Group General Counsel Will Irving said government would now provide Telstra
with the documents it had been asking for since August 2007.

"This is a good outcome because it may take us one step closer to knowing what went
on behind closed doors, and then being able to assess whether more formal action is warranted,"

Mr Irving said.

A further hearing is set down for March 17 to work out a process to deal with access
to certain documents.

An implementation plan for the Opel network is currently being assessed by the Department
of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

AAP ag/sb/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: TELSTRA OPEL

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