It is a great honour to join shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Communications, and I thank Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for this opportunity.
Before entering politics, I spent most of my career in the Communications sector. For eight years I worked with the PBL / Nine Group, with my final role being Director of Strategy and Digital for the company. I was also involved in a number of other businesses in the sector, and served on the board of Sky News Australia and as Chair of ninemsn.
The role of the Federal Government in Communications is immense. Spanning the internet, broadcasting, telecommunications and other areas, the decisions of government in Communications affect every Australian.
The former Coalition Government has a very strong record in Communications. We led the world in online safety initiatives. We fixed Labor’s mess to build the NBN. We delivered huge improvements in regional mobile access.
In contrast, the Labor Government has made a very poor start. It is moving too slowly on online safety, an issue that affects every family. It is failing regional Australians with cuts to essential connectivity programs. And it has shown no vision for the future – in an area where constant change means that vision is required.
Holding governments to account is a cornerstone of our democracy. I look forward to this task as Shadow Minister for Communications.
The Hon. David Coleman MP
Federal Member for Banks
Shadow Minister for Communications