This is a ridiculous argument.

The LNP Fraudband alternative would be using the same pits as the NBN for their street Nodes and would have had the same consequences.

The fault here lies with the glorious modern concept of employing sub-sub-sub contractors, who are trying to cut as many corners as possible in order to make a meagre profit at the bottom of the food chain. The results can be seen in all areas of infrastructure maintenance.

Telstra have very strict environmental controls and formal accreditation for their own employees and their subcontractors would have had to sign off on these conditions before being awarded a contract. It is expected that these conditions would flow downward and be observed by each level of supervision.

To suggest it's a matter for the government is like saying that if I have a bad experience getting my car serviced, it's obviously the responsibility of the Minister for Transport to oversee the condition of every motor vehicle is properly maintained.

wobbles - The Government said how much the NBN would cost it either did not mention the cost of asbestos or did not know in the first instance that would be deceitful if the second it would be incompetence.

I believe your argument does not apply because if the real cost was told to the parliament and public it could have been rejected.

It was the Governments job to know all the facts (everything that could have an effect on costs) before arriving at the forecast-ed final cost.

They did not do this so they are to blame.

The Labor government yesterday conceded it knew of asbestos pit concerns more than three years ago.

Thank heavens for asbestos!

If that's going to be the thing to stop the NBN, Hallelujah!

And if Wobbles is right, that asbestos must be moved even for fibre-to-the-node, then so much the better, for it will give reason for an LNP government to stop even that limited program they were politically forced into.

Lexi,

The issue is not how the asbestos got into the pits decades ago, but what is happening now. Asbestos is not dangerous unless you disturb it, and it is contractors working for Telstra, working for NBN Co, working for Labor, that is disturbing it.

NBN Co was warned of this problem years ago, and like the pink batts debacle, chose to ignore it. Working with asbestos is slow and expensive and really not suited to the many mom and pop businesses subcontracted at cut throat rates to do the work. Any idiot in the government could have seen that this construction model was a recipe for disaster, but obviously simply chose to look the other way, and as with the pink batts, eventually you get caught out. Simply blaming someone else does not wash here.

How can Australians trust labor when this is yet another signature Labor project stuffed up by ignoring safety and good management, as just about every labor project before.

Having been trained in the safe removal of this substance.
And having supervised it many times.
I over saw the removal of one of our biggest factory,s so far, very much contaminated I have views on this subject.
Many, may be all, of these under ground pits, went in while Telstra was government owned.
Under ground, mostly damp, the removal could have been handled better, and with some ease.
The fault, one that comes back to haunt us often, is shonky contractors.
Selected some times on the lowest price, endemic in this country.
And another shameful truth,
Engineers right down to site foremen,selling contracts to the wrong folk, for as little as a couple of bottle,s of scotch and seats at the footy, or trips over seas all paid for in the end by us.
We in this country are out standing in makeing mountains out of mole hills.
I truly doubt any,no matter how badly, the job was done, any entered one single home.
*And HIGHLIGHT Abbott,s system uses those street under ground boxes too*