NBN Co does not leave local tech firms out in the cold

Recently reported in the oo came the headline

NBN Co leaves local tech firms out in the cold

In it, the story claimed

An analysis by The Australian reveals that of almost $7.4 billion worth of contracts with construction and manufacturing firms, $1.75bn - or 23 per cent - has been given to Australian-controlled companies.
The NBN Co disputes this figure, arguing it is closer to 50 per cent. The analysis has outraged local technology companies, which fear a greater use of skilled migrants as the NBN rollout gears up.

Blogger kezza2 at Crikey highlights the oo's artifice

 

Jeez, according to The Australian, NBN Co cannot do anything right:

THE government company rolling out Labor's National Broadband Network is paying Australian companies as little as 23c of every $1 it spends on tenders for the project, prompting warnings that the government is failing to support local industry.

BUT, in the overseas companies who’ve been awarded contracts, there’s:
1. Corning Cable Systems (US) – listed by the OO as up to $1.2 billion – has its factory in Clayton, Victoria. i.e. jobs for local workers:

As a result of the contract, Corning will invest about $25 million in its Clayton facility, as well as in related equipment and personnel training. The facility employs 115 workers, but in the peak years of the NBN deployment, Corning expects to add as many as 300 to 400 jobs there.

2. Prysmian (Italy) – listed by the OO as up to $300 million – has its factory in Dee Why, NSW. i.e. jobs for local workers:

The five-year contract gives around 125 existing staff job certainty and will create up to 50 new jobs over five years.

3. Ericsson (Sweden) – listed by the OO as up to $1.1 billion. Well, it’s actually Ericsson Australia (offices in Melbourne and Sydney employing local workers) who won the contract, signed by Sam Saba of Ericsson Australia.
And that’s just three of the companies.
The whinger quoted, Openetworks managing director Michael Sparksman, moaning about lost Australian jobs, has lots of overseas companies with whom his company does business. It’s okay for him, yeah!
F*ck I’m sick to death of Murdoch running down anything good for Australia.

He highlights here what the oo has done. They have carefully only chosen companies that are "Australian-controlled companies." It disregards companies that might be foreign owned or foreign controlled, and in so doing, misses out on many local jobs, as kezza2 points out. Which, as he highlights, includes quite a lot of 'local tech firms'

ITwire  have a story up, and actually get the opinion and comment from the source, NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley.

"We have a policy for maximising local content," Mr Quigley said. By the way, just for the record, I absolutely disagree with the analysis (by the Australian): in fact, it was quite bizarre."

"When it comes to things such as buying fibre equipment, we are using local content to the maximum extent we can. But I think everybody would realise you cannot buy (some specialised equipment) from an Australian supplier as they are not made in Australia," Mr Quigley said.

Nice to see the oo continuing with it's 'bizarre' and completely misleading attack against the NBN