Communications Minister Anika Wells is facing criticism for her delayed response to a significant Telstra network outage that disrupted services for millions of Australians on Wednesday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the outage shortly after it began, but Wells, who was on annual leave, remained publicly silent for more than six hours.
During the outage, which impacted phone calls, mobile data, and electronic payments, a scheduled Facebook post from Wells promoting a digital connectivity program was shared and subsequently deleted by her social media team as the public questioned her silence. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called for Wells to return from leave immediately to explain the incident and outline measures to prevent future occurrences.
"The minister needs to front up and explain to Australians what has happened here," Taylor stated. "She needs to explain what has gone on, why this has happened, and what they're going to do to make sure it is fixed and that it never happens again."
A statement was eventually issued by Wells' media advisors, noting that the Triple Zero Custodian had reported some callers were unable to connect to the Emergency Call Person (ECP) and that Telstra was investigating these incidents. The statement emphasized that all telecommunications companies have strict requirements regarding welfare checks for disconnected Triple Zero calls and that the Custodian was in regular communication with Telstra for updates. The priorities were stated as restoring services and completing urgent welfare checks, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority expected to conduct a full investigation into the outage's cause.
Telstra chief financial officer Michael Ackland informed reporters that there was no evidence of malicious activity causing the outage but acknowledged the company did not yet know the root cause. He suggested the issues might have originated within Telstra-operated data centers in Sydney and Melbourne. When questioned about potential fatalities due to inability to contact emergency services, Ackland stated that welfare checks were being conducted but he had no information to share at that time.
The outage had far-reaching consequences, affecting access to government services, payment systems reliant on text message verification codes, and public transport, with regional train services in Victoria suspended and major rail lines in New South Wales disrupted. Electric vehicle charging stations were also impacted.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady is also reportedly on holiday. Wells, who has previously faced scrutiny over travel expenses and the use of public funds for her husband's travel, has been contacted for comment.