Don't know the details of this project but if the cable is subsidized by the government it doesn't matter if it scales super or sublinearly, taxpayers are on the hook.
a) Politicians are typically more educated than say in the US.
b) They rely heavily on the public service who are experienced to do the heavy lifting.
c) The jobs aren't in the areas that matter for Federal elections.
His real crime was playing a part in destroying the fibre to the premise internet rollout across Australia. He thought he could do it cheaper with mixed copper/coaxial technology.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/10/malcolm-turnbu...
I can't imagine how many billions this has cost the country and generally lowered our internet standards.
If the government forces Google to push out a version of FacebookMessenger.apk to the Play Store account belonging to janetlovescats93@gmail.com, which uploads hourly plaintext chat logs to a Google Drive folder that authorities can read, then I'm really not sure what the mathematics of Facebook Messenger's encryption can do?
As exhibit 'A' for the counterargument, I offer Kate Worden: NT's Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Security. Did you see her interview in Monday's "Water Grab" report by 4 Corners [1]?
One example of her logic: Farmers are planting circular fields, which is what you do for a central pivot water irrigation system, and Woden is saying with a straight face that irrigation is not being used and the cotton crop is only relying on rainfall with no dams or groundwater extraction involved.
Some choice words from the interview are that she is "sick of the science". There are lots of other goodies.
Her interview is a masterclass in ignorance.