Communications minister Helen Coonan has transferred the Telstra CDMA network decision making over to the Attorney-General ‘Phillip Ruddock’. Collectively, it’s difficult to pin point exactly why Senator Coonan has handed over the CDMA closure at this point of the process, although she has publicly stated that it was to ensure unbias judgement and to spare any further burden on the Australian taxpayer along with Telstra shareholders.

Coonan handed over the decision — on how and when the CDMA network will be closed — to Ruddock on Friday, charging him with deciding whether a recent draft amendment to Telstra’s carrier licence, which prevents the telco from switching off the network without government permission, will go ahead.

“So as to ensure that there is no suggestion of prejudgement regarding this decision and to ensure that Australian taxpayers and Telstra shareholders are spared unnecessary delay and expense, the Attorney-General will take on the role of decision maker,” she said in a statement.

Read the entire article at Australian IT.