Transcript - Doorstop (Optus outage) - 5 November 2025

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

5 November 2025 

Transcript 

Doorstop – Parliament House, ACT

Topics: Optus outage.  

E&EO … 

Melissa McIntosh

Perhaps the media is getting more information than we are, or what Optus has given, because this is all they've put on their website about an outage that has occurred in the Hunter Valley and the surrounds. And once again, it looks like Australians can't call Triple Zero in their time of need.

And this is all Optus is telling us. And that's why I've been calling for an independent investigation into the whole Triple Zero ecosystem, so we can get to the bottom and why this is even happening. There's even reports that someone may have been trying to take some copper. How is this occurring? One of my amendments to the legislation that went through Parliament was to have the Triple Zero network listed as critical infrastructure.

Something more has to be done. So this was at 3pm, my office tried to reach out to Optus. They referred us to their statement and this is all the information we are getting right now.

The government Minister, the Minister for Communications has said that all telco networks, all telco providers will have to put outages on their website. But I've been calling for a proper, thorough, independent website that has all telco outages run by this Custodian that's been apparently been sitting in the Department of Communications since March. What have they been doing when it's come to these outages? And here we are standing again today talking about Australians who may be needing to make this very vital telephone call.

Journalist

The reports of copper theft indicate it might be a different category to the previous outages. You know, can you lump it all together at this point?

McIntosh

It's Optus and there's an outage and people can't call Triple Zero. And that's the reason why we're standing here. We've got to remember, it doesn't matter what the circumstances are that caused it, when someone can't make that phone call, it's a life and death situation.

And why would – why are people stealing copper? Are things that tough in this country. That's the questions that need to be answered. And that's why I want a thorough investigation into the whole ecosystem, including the infrastructure that is in place and whether it's fit for purpose. So these sorts of outages don't happen. And Optus have promised for transparency. How do you - how are like - I think we've got, I don't know, seven lines here saying there's an outage and you may not be able to call Triple Zero. Do you think Australians think that that's good enough?

Journalist

There are some reports that if a customer is in the vicinity of another network like Telstra, they can still call Triple Zero. Is that not then the system working as intended?

McIntosh

Let's hope the camp-on system works and that what was meant to happen in that Triple Zero outage where sadly people's lives were lost. But we aren't going to know if that is happening right now until after the event. And I hope that office lets Australians know that that camp-on system worked effectively. That would be the best outcome. But right now all the information we have is that people perhaps can't call Triple Zero.

And Optus is not giving, once again, any transparency, which has been the big problem since the very beginning. And I think this is a case in point with the Minister for Communications saying that she's going to push it back onto the telcos to provide information about outages. I don't think it's good enough. This is why the Custodian has to come in and provide that transparency of every single outage and they need to be doing their job.

Journalist

Do you have a message for Stephen Rue this afternoon?

McIntosh

Come and step up. You stand here and speak to Australians and give them the confidence that they need that your network is going to provide the services that you promised. Because right now, once again, I said that when I had that meeting with him, I had doubts that there wouldn't be more Triple Zero outages.

And again, this is about infrastructure. When we approach fire disaster season, which is happening right now, how are Australians going to have that confidence that they can make those triple zero calls?

Thank you, everyone.