Senator ALLISON(10.39 a.m.) —There are just three points I want to quickly make. Firstly, I draw the attention of the Senate to our amendments Nos 3 through to 6, which we were going to withdraw on the basis that we were happy with the Greens' amendments. However, one advantage with our amendments is that they, in fact, deal with this question of main distribution frame and/or telephone sockets, so that is spelt out there. So it could be that we would perhaps substitute these amendments for the Greens' amendments and that would solve the problem.

Secondly, I indicate that the Democrats would support an arrangement whereby consumers were protected. I think that this uncertainty has to do with understanding whether people who remain Telstra customers would be required to enter into some sort of maintenance agreement with them. I think that is the basis of the concerns.

Thirdly, I want to draw quickly on the submission made by the CEPU. The Minister for Communications and the Arts (Senator Alston) talks about this opening up competition for new buildings. The CEPU said that communications installation industries have grown rapidly since liberalisations of 1989. A recent survey suggested there are now more than 10,000 businesses carrying out such installation work, and work in domestic premises is on the increase.

Similarly, there has been an increase in the number of Austel cabling licences over the period—most of which would appear to be from the non-carrier sector. In Telstra, employees now account for only about one-third of the 34,000 licence holders. So, Minister, I suggest to you that these figures do not suggest that this sector of the industry has been in any way constrained in terms of competition by the current regulations.