MELBOURNE, Australia-Australian Prime Minister John Howard pledged to Australians a large “social bonus” in the form of substantial infrastructure projects from a proposed US$40 billion sale of the remaining two-thirds of national telecommunications carrier Telstra. The Labor opposition party vowed, however, to oppose any moves to legislate the sale.
“We have made a firm policy decision that if re-elected we will proceed to allow the people of Australia to buy the remaining two-thirds of Telstra,” Howard said. The Prime Minister has not nominated an election date.-PB
