Telstra outage: Taylor defends shadow minister for making unnecessary triple-zero calls amid death claim
Opposition leader Angus Taylor has defended shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson for making unnecessary calls to the triple-zero emergency number during Telstra's nationwide outage, while dismissing concerns about Senator Kerrynne Liddle's unverified claim that an elderly person died due to the outage.
Australian opposition leader Angus Taylor has stated that his shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, was "doing her job" when she made unnecessary calls to the triple-zero emergency number during Wednesday's nationwide Telstra outage. Taylor dismissed criticism from government ministers, including Tim Ayres, who called Henderson's actions "utterly irresponsible," accusing the government of focusing on "political spin" rather than real issues.
Telstra confirmed on Thursday that some customers experienced difficulties reaching triple-zero due to a "secondary issue," which has since been reduced by 90%. Henderson has defended her actions, saying she was testing whether the system was working and that her role placed her in a "unique position." Making non-emergency calls to triple-zero can carry criminal penalties, but Henderson maintains her actions were justified.
Questions have also arisen over a social media post by Liberal Senator Kerrynne Liddle, who claimed that an elderly person in South Australia died because they could not reach triple-zero during a "life-or-death emergency." South Australia Police stated they were not aware of any such death. Taylor said he had not spoken to Liddle but noted she was reporting distressing reports received by her office. Liddle's post remained online as of Thursday afternoon.
Communications Minister Anika Wells announced on Wednesday that welfare checks were being conducted for people unable to reach triple-zero. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will review the incident.
