Huawei: Still banned from the NBN. Photo: Bloomberg
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is still hoping to have a federal ban on its involvement in building Australia's national broadband network overturned, despite Attorney-General George Brandis saying it will not be lifted.
Mr Brandis overruled several other cabinet ministers who were open to easing the ban, according to The Australian Financial Review, by saying the previous government's decision would stand following fresh advice received after it came to power.
"The decision of the previous government not to permit Huawei to tender for the NBN was made on advice from the national security agencies," Mr Brandis said. "That decision was supported by the then opposition after we received our own briefings from those agencies."
"Since the election the new government has had further briefings from the national security agencies. No decision has been made by the new government to change the existing policy."
On Tuesday morning the company indicated it still has hopes the NBN Co strategic reviews ordered by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will reconsider the decision in its favour.
"Huawei understands no decisions have been made by the government regarding the NBN, pending outcomes of the strategic review," a spokesman told IT Pro.
As recently as last week, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had publicly offered his support to Huawei, labelling it a "very credibly business". Trade Minister Andrew Robb also backed a review of Huawei's involvement in the NBN, saying the company had a "big future in Australia".
Huawei was told by the Labor government in early 2012 that it could not supply NBN Co due to national security concerns. The former government banned the company's involvement on advice from Australia's national security agency ASIO. Then prime minister Julia Gillard said it was a prudent decision. Huawei later said the ban could breach Australia's international trade obligations.
The company was set up in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese military engineer, to sell imported telecoms equipment. It started to develop its own later.
It says it is owned by its employees and denies it is controlled by the communist government or China's military, but it has had a hard time convincing the Australian and the US governments of its impartiality despite mounting a concerted public relations and lobbying campaign. Last year a US House Intelligence Committee said Huawei and another Chinese telecom, ZTE, "cannot be trusted" to be free of influence from Beijing and could be used to undermine US security.
Fairfax Media with Lia Timson
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