NBN chief denies plot afoot to get rid of him
"Siobhan [McKenna] and I talk regularly, in fact we were on the phone last night," Mr Quigley said. "The relationship between myself and Siobhan is a good one."
Mr Quigley declined to respond directly when asked whether he trusted Ms McKenna, who reportedly has approached a headhunter to search for a replacement.
"I've seen all those reports and I've seen the Sportsbet [offering odds on who will be his replacement]," Mr Quigley said. "I started on this thing four years ago. I am not going to be here when it finishes in 2021. I will choose my retirement when I choose it."
If the Coalition wins the September election, Mr Quigley faces an uncomfortable situation, given the opposition communication spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, already has made it clear he does not believe Mr Quigley has the appropriate skills and experience to run the company.
It is understood that Mr Quigley believes Labor's mostly fibre-to-the-home network is the superior technology option, but he refused to be drawn on the two political parties' competing plans.
Mr Quigley spoke to Fairfax Media on Thursday afternoon after announcing NBN Co had met its revised targets for the fibre network rollout, having "passed" 207,500 homes and businesses with fibre optic cable.
NBN Co counts as "passed" premises where cable is laid in the street, even when the house or apartment is yet to be connected.
More than 70,000 homes and businesses now use NBN services and the number of people using fibre has increased sevenfold over the past year, NBN Co said.
The revised target was for between 190,000 and 220,000 premises to be passed by June 30. About 93 per cent of NBN involved running fibre to the home, while the remaining 7 per cent, in remote rural and regional areas, used wireless and satellite technology. Mr Quigley conceded the NBN Co had achieved less than half of its target for wireless rollout.
Mr Turnbull rubbished the NBN Co's announcement, referring to reports in The Australian Financial Review that more than 50,000 of the homes and businesses counted as "passed" by fibre could not connect to the NBN.
"The credibility of the management of the NBN is now shattered," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Quigley said that, even if correct, the reports would not be concerning, as NBN Co had met the official definition of what constituted a "passed" premises.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
No. Mike Quigley has denied rumours that NBN Co's chair, Siobhan McKenna, is plotting to remove him. He said he and Ms McKenna speak regularly and described their relationship as good.
The article reports that there are claims Ms McKenna has approached a headhunter to search for a replacement, but Mike Quigley declined to directly answer whether he trusted her or to confirm that action.
Quigley said he started four years ago and does not expect to be at NBN Co when the rollout finishes in 2021. He added he will choose the timing of his retirement himself.
Yes. The article notes that if the Coalition wins the September election, Quigley could face an uncomfortable situation because opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has publicly questioned Quigley’s skills to run the company.
According to the article, NBN Co announced it met its revised target by having 'passed' 207,500 homes and businesses with fibre optic cable, which falls within the revised target range of 190,000 to 220,000 premises by June 30.
NBN Co counts a premise as 'passed' when the fibre cable is laid in the street outside it, even if the home or apartment has not yet been physically connected to the network.
The article states more than 70,000 homes and businesses now use NBN services, and the number of people using fibre has increased sevenfold over the past year.
Yes. Malcolm Turnbull pointed to reports that more than 50,000 premises counted as 'passed' by fibre could not connect. Mike Quigley responded that even if those reports are correct, NBN Co met the official definition of a 'passed' premise and thus the figures are not concerning to the company.
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