Fed:WA Nats vote not to disaffiliate with Fed body over Telstra=2

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Fed:WA Nats vote not to disaffiliate with Fed body over Telstra=2

The motion reflects growing rural anxiety about the possible sale of Telstra beforebush telecommunications are at a service level which is comparable to those in urban areas.

The vote came just hours after the Nationals leader Acting Prime Minister John Andersontold the delegates that government ownership of Telstra was not essential to ensuringsatisfactory telecommunications services for the bush.

Delegates who spoke against the motion did not dispute that telecommunications werea problem in rural WA, but said they were concerned their voices would not be heard shouldthey disaffiliate.

South West regional director Vicki Brown said she was disappointed about the loss of the motion.

"But I'm glad it has brought our concerns out into the open," Ms Brown said.

Mr Anderson had another engagement and did not stay for the vote.

But before he left the Nationals leader assured the conference that party policy onthe government sale of Telstra had not changed.

"We've said no further sale until and unless services are at a satisfactory level andwe have a living, dynamic set of arrangements to ensure we don't fall behind in the future,"

Mr Anderson said.

However, outside the conference Mr Anderson said the eventual sale of Telstra was inevitable.

"In the medium to long term I believe that sooner or later a government will sell it yes, I do."

He said rural telecommunications services, not ownership of Telstra, was the key issue.

"I simply wanted to make the point, that to me, public and private ownership seemsto have little to do with whether we get satisfactory services in the country.

"It's a question of having the right universal service obligations and customer guarantees- and then policing them.

"That's the key to getting services right, as I see it."

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KEYWORD: TELSTRA NATIONALS WA 2 YORK