Transcript - Sky News NewsDay - 2 October 2025

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

2 October 2025

Transcript

Sky News NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert

Topics: Triple Zero outage; Triple Zero custodian; ACMA; NBN; social media age minimum; United Nations; Optus.

EO&E …

Kieran Gilbert

It looks like the government will be moving on a Triple Zero watchdog. Would you welcome that over the next couple of weeks when Parliament returns?

Melissa McIntosh

Thanks for having me on, Kieran. This has been a very serious couple of weeks since that first outage where sadly, lives were lost. And now it's coming to light and it seems like we get updates day by day that the government had recommendations. They had the - a year and a half they've been sitting on recommendations since the first Optus outage that happened in 2023. And one of those recommendations was to have a custodian put in, an authority to ensure that these types of outages just don't happen. Now, the Minister has said that that sits in her Department, but that doesn't have the authority, the legislative authority, to make sure this is effective. So now, in the last days of Parliament for the year, a year and a half after the recommendations were brought down, we all have to rush through and have legislation. Why? Why has the government been so slow? It has resulted in the deaths of four people. That this outage happened in the first place. It's really serious. The Minister, whether she's new, she's been in the game for a long time. She needs to be across her brief. It is Triple Zero, our most essential telecommunications service.

Gilbert

No doubt this will be a big focus of the Coalition next week when Parliament returns. What more do you want? I spoke to your colleague yesterday, Sarah Henderson, who's saying there needs to be, at the very least, a Senate inquiry into this scandal.

McIntosh

From the very start, when the Minister was overseas, I was calling for a thorough, independent investigation not only into Optus, but the whole Triple Zero network ecosystem. Because it wasn't just Optus that has had a Triple Zero outage. Recently, the NBN had an outage which resulted in the Triple zero going down. So we need the whole network looked into independently, not by the regulator, ACMA, because they were part of the failed process. Yet the Minister has put ACMA in to do the investigation. That shouldn't be happening. And I'm also calling on behalf of the Coalition for a public register. So when there is a Triple Zero outage, Australians know we need this transparency. People are losing confidence in this most important system. So, yes, there needs to be investigations, the government needs to prioritise it, stop going on overseas trips during a crisis, get those recommendations, 18 of them, fully implemented, and have a thorough independent investigation.

Gilbert

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman apparently reported back late last year with those recommendations. So it does sound now like the government's got the blueprint there ready to deliver. A watchdog, some oversight of Triple Zero. So while it might be delayed in your view to this point, it should be able to be delivered soon and quickly from here, shouldn't it?

McIntosh

A year and a half, though, Kieran. And we've gone through another outage that's resulted in deaths. Like, there's no greater sense of urgency than getting this done and we haven't seen the legislation yet. We have Parliament sitting on Tuesday. We're now Thursday. The Coalition, of course, would like to provide the support that we can to getting this through, but we need to see the details as well. And let's not forget we only have a couple of weeks left of Parliament for the year. We're approaching the summer season where there's bushfires, people are going to be in need, so we'll offer our support. But why are we waiting a year and a half after those recommendations?

Gilbert

You've had a crack at the Minister for travelling to the United Nations. She was there, though, in support of the government's efforts to build international momentum around the ban on social media for those under-16. Isn't that a worthwhile initiative as well that she should be focusing her attention on?

McIntosh

It was during a crisis, Kieran, though the outage happened, lives were lost. The Minister appointed ACMA and thought her job was done and said, goodbye, Australia, everything's fine. And then we had another outage. You don't leave your post during an emergency, regardless of the issue. Of course, protecting kids online is important. We need to do that. It's a priority. But the most urgent priority is protecting Australian citizens, particularly during a crisis. And there's nothing more important than someone being able to pick up the phone and call Triple Zero in their greatest time of need.

Gilbert

Have you been briefed on everything that Optus is doing, as the Shadow Minister. And are they taking this, you know, with sufficient gravity and seriousness, their response?

McIntosh

Just to step back a bit. I requested a departmental briefing. It was a long time coming from the Minister and her Department. At no stage were the recommendations or what they've been doing even mentioned in that briefing. I have requested a meeting with the Optus CEO. I have been offered their Government Relations Manager, which I don't think is acceptable, considering how serious this is. But of course we want to do everything we can as an Opposition to offer assistance, but it is failure after failure. And whether it's Optus not taking their role seriously or it's the government not prioritising recommendations and getting on with things. Australians deserve better. They really do in this situation. And I hope the government steps up with the little time we have left till the end of the year.

Gilbert

And as I say, I imagine this will be dominating much of Question Time when it resumes next week. Is that the plan?

McIntosh

It's worth putting the pressure on the government when they have failed Australians, and this failure is a pretty big one.

Gilbert

Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.