Mr ABBOTT (12:46 PM) —Deputy Speaker Jenkins, as you and other members would know, under the former government, telecommunications infrastructure was virtually a question of open slather, and we had mobile phone towers popping up like loathsome toadstools all over the cities of Australia. We had overhead cable being strung like spaghetti in the garden suburbs of our great cities.

I am pleased to say that last year the current government changed the law. As of 1 July 1997, major items of telecommunications infrastructure, such as mobile phone towers and overhead cabling, could go ahead only with the consent of local governments or state governments. Of the changes brought in by the government, it is one of which I am most personally proud. In addition, last year, the government announced the spending of more than $4 million to study the possible health effects of this type of electromagnetic radiation on nearby residents.

There is, however, an ongoing problem in my electorate. Next week, Telstra will be turning on a mobile phone base station at Dalwood in Seaforth. No work substantially commenced before 1 July last year. There has been no agreement from Manly council. When Telstra indicated that they were going ahead, Manly council took them to court. Unfortunately, in the first instance, Manly council lost in the New South Wales Land and Environment Court—which I am afraid has taken a very liberal and, one may even say, idiosyncratic view as to what counts as commencement. My understanding is that the current position of the New South Wales Land and Environment Court is that mere design work constitutes the commencement of these stations.

I want to make three points. The first point is that Manly council is considering an appeal, as I understand the situation, and it would be most unwise of Telstra to go ahead with the switching on of the base station before that appeal has been decided. The second point is that Telstra is a fine Australian company—it is obviously our telecommunications flagship—but, in that position, it does have very special corporate responsibilities. It is still in two-thirds public ownership and even after it passes into private ownership, because of its semi-monopolistic nature, it will operate under special conditions. Telstra, of all companies, cannot afford to act like a corporate bully. I believe that Telstra should sit down with Manly council and enter into further negotiations, in the spirit of the law introduced by this government.

The third point I would like to make is that, plainly, some telecommunications companies—perhaps in anticipation of the government's law last year—have been pulling swifties with their local communities. They have put up a sign here, they have turned a sod there and they have begun design work somewhere else. Quite frankly, this should not be enough for work on these installations to go ahead without proper local or state approval. I will be asking Senator Alston to consider changing this legislation, in order to prohibit the erection of these facilities without council consent, unless they were substantially commenced before 1 July 1997.

I notice that I have one minute left and so I would like to draw the attention of the committee to some statements made by the member for Werriwa (Mr Latham) in his new book which was, as we know, a long instruction manual for his colleagues, particularly the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Beazley).

I am sure members opposite will be delighted to know that the member for Werriwa says on page 104 of his new book:

The quest for full employment has actually been achieved—

in this country, which is an interesting position for a member of the Labor Party to adopt. He also says:

. . . high unemployment is not a problem across the macro economy.

This is an extremely interesting position for any member of parliament in this place to have, given that unemployment is still over eight per cent.

The truth is the Leader of the Opposition has a big problem with the member for Werriwa. The member for Werriwa thinks he is running policy; he thinks he is running the opposition. He needs to be disciplined. He needs to decide what political party he wants to join because, quite frankly, he is too right wing for the Labor Party.