Coalition's speedy NBN board clearout

MALCOLM Turnbull is expected to clean out most of the board of the embattled NBN amid Labor claims he will "sack and stack'' it with Liberal mates.

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to clean out most of the board of the embattled National Broadband Network amid Labor claims he will "sack and stack'' it with Liberal mates.

NBN Co chair Siobhan McKenna and all but one of her board colleagues have offered their resignations in recent days, believed to be citing a lack of confidence from the new government after months of attacks from the Liberal Party. The Abbott Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting next week as speculation mounts former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski is set to become chairman of the overhauled NBN. ENTIRE NBN CO BOARD QUITS The moves come as the Coalition Government shapes to implement its scaled back broadband policy, involving running fibre to only nodes in neighbourhoods rather than to every premise. Premises will instead have to pay up to several thousands dollars if they want the superfast fibre connection allowing at least 100 Mbps, otherwise make do with at least 50 Mbps. While the resignations have been offered, they had not yet been accepted and Coalition sources suggest some may be invited to stay on, with those tipped to include former Sydney Water boss Kerry Schott. Labor leadership candidate Bill Shorten on Monday called on the government to promise the "sack and stack" would not cost taxpayers money. "They will stack it with their friends who are interested in giving Australia yesterday's solution to tomorrow's problems,'' Mr Shorten said. But Labor strategist Bruce Hawker said the Coalition had a right to clear the decks. "If he wants to remove them and replace them with his own people, then so be it," he said. Mr Turnbull was not commenting but Liberal frontbencher Mitch Fifield said the government would ensure there was "good and appropriate governance'' of the NBN. "All political parties are for a National Broadband Network - that is not what is in debate here,'' he said. "What we are going to do which is different is roll out the NBN faster, but we are not going to mandate that every single house has to have the same connection at the same speed.'' Graeme Morris, a former chief-of-staff to John Howard, said "honour and common sense had prevailed'' and the board had made a decision given Mr Turnbull was "a bit iffy about us''. "I think we do need a new board,'' he said. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said: "It's been just over a fortnight and everything the Coalition touches turns to ash." ###