1.00pm
CANBERRA - The Australian federal government says it does not expect to sell its remaining share in Telstra until at least 2006.
As federal election counting continues, the coalition is close to winning a majority of seats in the Senate, which it would need to be sure of passing laws enabling
the sell-off.
Communications Minister Helen Coonan said 2006 was the earliest the government could sell its 51.05 per cent shareholding in Telstra.
But she said a bill to enable the sale could be put to the Senate earlier if services to the bush were up to scratch and market conditions were right.
Ms Coonan said the Liberal Party would not take support from its coalition partner, the Nationals, for granted when it came to the full privatisation of Telstra.
The Nationals have pledged to oppose the sale until they are satisfied services to rural and regional areas are protected for the future.
Ms Coonan's comments came as Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Graeme Samuel said the watchdog was more interested in Telstra being subject to a tight regulatory rein than the government's sale plan.
Mr Samuel said the ACCC was indifferent to who owned Telstra.
Labor communications spokesman Lindsay Tanner said he believed the legislation could be introduced as early as next July, when new senators took their seats.
- AAP
