Transcript - ABC Radio National Breakfast - 30 September 2025

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

30 September 2025

Transcript

ABC Radio National Breakfast with Barbara Miller

Topics: Triple Zero outage; Triple Zero inquiry; Optus; Telstra; NBN; Stephen Rue; ACMA; UN.

EO&E …

Barbara Miller

Melissa McIntosh is the Shadow Minister for Communications Minister McIntosh, welcome to Radio National Breakfast.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you very much.

Miller

The third outage from Optus in two years. Are we at a point where Australians are losing or have lost confidence in the Triple Zero system?

McIntosh

That's where the risk is right now. It is our most essential telecommunications service. People rely on Triple Zero in their most needed state when it is an emergency and there are so many questions right now about whether it is in fact effective, whether it can be robust and hold up in the situations where it is needed. And we're not getting enough answers. So I've been calling, and it has been this way since last week, into a full, thorough, independent investigation, not only into Optus, but the whole Triple Zero network ecosystem. Because there seems to be a bit of an issue with that reliability, with that confidence, and Australians need to know that they can get to Triple Zero when they need it.

Miller

Why is the ACMA investigation not enough?

McIntosh

ACMA, as the regulator, was alerted to the Optus outage, where, sadly, four people passed away the other week. They were alerted on Thursday. It is a responsibility by law that Optus did that. They alerted ACMA and they alerted the Department of Communications. But the Minister is saying she did not find out until Friday. So ACMA did not act on that alert, they did not alert the minister. So how can the regulator be the investigator when they're part of the failed process? ACMA also put a number of recommendations to the Government after the outage in 2023. The Minister's saying that a majority of those have been implemented, but we don't know which ones, we don't know to which extent. So there is a question again around ACMA really getting on with things and now it is an emergency, it is at a critical stage and they're just not doing enough. So it needs to be an independent investigation, separate to ACMA. And it's not just me as the Opposition calling this, it is ACCAN as well, which is a consumer advocacy group and there's telco experts calling for an independent investigation. This is just too important not to do now.

Miller

Could any investigation, though, give Australians confidence in the Triple Zero network ahead of this summer's bushfire season?

McIntosh

That's a big risk. And I was saying this the other week as well. The bushfire season - people are going to need triple zero even in their everyday lives. And the Minister has a power under the Telco Act to put in a technical expert straight away. It's under the licence conditions, so she could do that and get on with it and maybe that would make a difference. But I believe the Minister should be exercising every power, every lever she has, because there is nothing more important than protecting Australians. So get on with it. She was overseas for the last week with the Prime Minister. We haven't heard from her since this most recent outage. And hopefully with her meeting today, we get some answers out of both Optus and the Government.

Miller

The Government says it is proceeding with the recommendation to establish a Triple Zero Custodian, but it still lacks the necessary legislation. Would that be enough of an oversight, do you think?

McIntosh

It's not going to be enough of an oversight. It is a step that we would likely to support. We'd have to look at the legislation. She could without having to legislate. She can just go to her Cabinet now and get under the Telco Act - she could appoint someone to get into Optus and look at the technical issues and get things moving right now. But the most highest priority has to be an independent investigator. And the other thing that is missing in all this is that when there is an outage, we just don't know as Australians that there is an outage. There needs to be a public register that shows transparency so consumers can see what is actually going on. Because it's not just Optus. We've had Telstra over the last couple of days have an outage, we've had the NBN have a triple zero outage. Australians are rightly losing confidence in our telcos, particularly with Optus in our government not acting quick enough. And we need to have confidence in this network. It is absolutely essential.

Miller

Optus was previously fined $12 million after the 2023 outage. Should another fine be handed down?

McIntosh

It doesn't seem like fines are really doing much. Of course they should have penalties. But $12 million barely scratches the surface on such a big company. Something else needs to be done. But I think what needs to be done first and foremost is securing the network and ensuring that it works. And there aren't going to be errors that have occurred, whether they are people errors or technical errors, they just should not be happening. And a fine and recommendations have resulted in us being at this place and not forgetting that four people sadly passed away during the major outage of the other week. So prioritise it government. Prioritise it Optus, you know, put Australians first.

Miller

Those deaths linked to the outage investigations still underway into them. You've called for the Optus CEO to quit. Do you stand by that? And isn't there a danger that that could delay any necessary reform?

McIntosh

The CEO promised Australians he would step out every day and face the media, but we haven't heard from him for, I imagine, over a week now. My point on saying that is that Australians have lost confidence in Optus and they've lost confidence in the CEO doing his job. So it would be logical that the person at the top needs to take responsibility for this. That is going to be up to the Optus board. But something needs to happen. Right now, we're not getting enough out of Optus. They're not giving us any answers as to what has occurred. We have to wait patiently for an investigation. But start putting Australians first. That's my message. This is too important. And I hope the Minister comes out today after her meeting and addresses the Australian public with a clear outline on what the government will be doing to rectify this very serious situation.

Miller

Melissa McIntosh, thank you for joining us.

McIntosh

Thank you so much.