The Greens welcome today's announcement of the commencement of a review into the Triple 0 system, but raise concerns about ACMA being given more responsibility to oversee the system after their repeated failures.
As stated by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for communications and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Triple 0 service outage:
"ACMA has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any reasonable accountability as the regulator of the Triple 0 system. To give them more responsibility for this life or death service is ludicrous.
"ACMA doesn't need an extra role - it needs a complete overhaul and a broom through the place. The regulator has become too cosy with the very industry and companies it is meant to be regulating.
"The Senate Inquiry into Triple 0 service outage has repeatedly heard that ACMA failed to do basic due diligence in the face of receiving highly concerning information about Triple 0 failures. Including when people had died.
"ACMA's job is to ensure these telecommunications companies are delivering services properly. Time and again, they have proven they're just not up to the job.
"Australians are being let down by a regulator that is more of a lapdog than a watchdog while these big telecommunications companies are getting away with poor service and self regulation.
"Triple 0 is an essential service and should not just be left in the hands of big corporations that want to cut costs and maximise profits. Australians' safety must come first.
"A review into the Triple 0 system is very welcome, but a whole year before the public even sees a final report is far too long.
"This review should be a priority for the Government and the Minister. A Triple 0 system that works properly is a matter of life or death.
"How can Australians have faith that the Triple 0 system will work in their time of need when the review won't even report for 12 months, let alone the time it will take to act on the recommendations?
"This review shows how important the role of the Senate Inquiry into the Triple 0 service outage has been in forcing the Government to act and finally order a full review of the crippled and broken system."
