OPTUS INQUIRY:
Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (below) has been accused of “blatant hypocrisy” for plans she has announced ahead of the inquiry she is chairing into last week’s nationwide Optus network outage.
The Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee will today open its inquiry by grilling Optus CEO, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin. (main picture)
Prior to the meeting Senator Hanson-Young said she would seek the committee’s approval to have Ms Bayer Rosmarin fitted with a permanent electronic ankle bracelet so that her movements could be tracked.
“This is a step which I believe is necessary in the current circumstances, especially given the Optus CEO’s record of dodging public scrutiny,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
But Labor Party members responded by accusing the SA Greens Senator of being a hypocrite.
“Just a day ago Senator Hanson-Young was vehemently opposing the Albanese Government’s emergency laws passed this week with Opposition support to fit tracking bracelets to some former long-term immigration detainees,” one Labor MP said.
“Now she appears to have taken on board that very same idea and wants to fit one to the Optus CEO. It’s blatant hypocrisy.”
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young rejected the hypocrisy charge but did admit she had been inspired by this week’s rushed legislation responding to the High Court of Australia’s ruling on cases of indefinite detention.
She added that Labor MPs should be thankful that she had adopted only the electronic tracking elements of the new laws.
“I was considering seeking the committee’s approval to also impose a curfew, mandatory reporting conditions, and mandatory minimum jail terms for Ms Bayer Rosmarin if she doesn’t front the committee when asked,” she admitted. “But I thought the ankle bracelet was enough – for now.”
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