Transcript - ABC News Breakfast - 29 September 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

29 September 2025

Transcript

ABC News Breakfast

Topics: Triple zero outage; Optus; ACMA; Anika Wells; Communications Department; NBN; Katy Gallagher.

EO&E …

Presenter

So, let's get more now on the latest Optus outage. Shadow Minister for Communications Melissa McIntosh joins us now from Penrith. Melissa, thanks for joining us this morning.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you.

Presenter

The last Optus outage was only a couple of weeks ago. This one has affected a smaller number. We understand it's a different fault. What's your reaction? How can we change things to prevent something like this happening again?

Melissa McIntosh

It's quite extraordinary that we are here again, but I had been warning about this last week while the Prime Minister and the Communications Minister were out of the country at the UN, that something needed to be happening very, very fast. The Minister actually has the powers to have an immediate investigation into the Triple Zero Network, but she hasn't done that. She's appointed ACMA, who were part of the first Optus outage process failure to do an investigation. I’m calling on behalf of the Coalition: a full investigation into the whole network, not just Optus. We've also heard that the NBN had an outage over the weekend, around 700 homes. People across Australia need to have confidence in our Triple Zero Network. These are lives that are at risk and the government seems to not be having any sense of urgency, any sense of prioritisation, and yet we are in this position again. I'm sure Optus and the government would hope that this issue would go away, but it hasn't. And I want the government to act now on behalf of all Australians.

Presenter

Earlier we spoke to the Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, and we asked if Australians should have faith in the Triple Zero Network and she says that they do and they should. Do you agree with that?

Melissa McIntosh

Well, is Katy's head in the sand? We've just had another Triple Zero outage by Optus. The first one, four lives were lost. We are also hearing the NBN has experienced an outage of its Triple Zero network. I think Australians would be very, very rightly having concern. And we're approaching the summer season where we have bushfires and people may need to call Triple Zero. But regardless of that, in any part of a person's life, when they have their greatest need, they should have that reliability that they can pick up the phone and call Triple Zero. And right now they're very right to be questioning that. And that's why I'm calling on the government to have a thorough investigation, urgent one, into the whole Triple Zero network ecosystem.

Presenter

The Communications Minister will be meeting with the heads of Optus as well as Singtel, Optus’s owner, tomorrow. What do you want to say come out of that meeting?

Melissa McIntosh

I wish she did this last week instead of going overseas. It's very important that she does have this discussion and she does get reassurances, but, you know, she has the powers herself to have a thorough investigation. So regardless of the wrongs that have come from Optus and they should not be let off the hook, but the government has the authority to step up here and the Government isn't. They're letting Australians down right now. So I hope now she's back here in Australia, she really steps up, utilises her powers, has a thorough investigation into the Triple Zero network across the board and gives Australians the confidence they deserve in this very essential service.

Presenter

Why isn't the ACMA review enough? Surely we need reviews to happen and then the outcome of those reviews to actually change anything that needs changing.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, ACMA did a review when this happened in 2023 and there were recommendations and we're hearing that many of those recommendations haven't been implemented. Why hasn't the Government made sure these recommendations have implemented? There's so many questions. ACMA was part of the failed process. So when the outage happened a week or so ago, Optus did alert ACMA and the Department of Communications, but ACMA did not alert the Minister, it seems, because she said that she didn't hear about the outage until Friday, even though it had happened on the Thursday, very early in the morning. So if you're part of the process breakdown, how can you investigate yourself? That's why I believe it needs to be a thorough, independent investigation. And it's not just into Optus. If NBN is also experiencing outages, it needs to be into the whole telecommunications network.

Presenter

Okay, Melissa McIntosh, thanks for joining us this morning.