In comedies, characters in trouble point away from their accuser, saying ‘look over there’, then run and hide – Labor tried the same trick on mobile black spots this week, but it’s no joking matter.

Under the Coalition Government The Nationals secured 43 mobile black spot investments in Mallee, including Boolite, Douglas and Douglas Mine, Kalkee, Kewell, Laharum, Sheep Hills, Minyip, Toolondo and Wartook Valley.

During their destructive three years in office, Labor has failed to fund one mobile black spot in Mallee, which takes in over one third of Victoria.

Worse still, they’ve created more black spots in a botched shutdown of the 3G network. I advocated persistently to the telcos and government to delay the shutdown, which they heeded – but major problems still remain, as I discover frequently driving the length and breadth of Mallee’s 83,412 square kilometres.

Labor’s Monday distraction was to launch into political sky their UOMO – ‘Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation’.  What that means, where it will land, and how much it will cost, were not detailed – it was a desperate pre-election attempt to paper over a gaping black hole in Labor’s action for regional Australians.

We in the Coalition have always delivered mobile connectivity for rural, regional, and remote Australia and will continue to do so. I have been concerned to hear that black spots increased the danger for firefighters and community members during recent Grampians and Little Desert bushfires.  There is much important work to be done to repair the damage from Labor’s scorched earth approach to regional Australia.

Mallee residents already have UOMO – the Unavoidability Of Missing Out – after three wasted years under Labor.

Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8 is now open and I encourage readers to contact me on anne.webster.mp@aph.gov.au nominating where their black spots are, which telco signals it affects, which signals fail in the area (eg 4G, 5G), what safety risks there are (e.g. bushfire or flood risk, limited roads in the area) and what business and/or tourism impact it has.  I look forward to putting them forward on your behalf to continue giving you a voice in Canberra.