The Rudd Government's plan for Telstra could fail amid increasing criticism of the proposed restructuring.
The Federal Opposition has vowed to oppose legislative changes, introduced as part of the plan to build the $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), paving the way for the break-up of Telstra.
Key independent Senators have also criticised the plan for denying Telstra fair treatment.
The Coalition will try first to defer consideration of the legislation until the completion of an implementation study into the NBN project.
But, if unsuccessful with its deferral move, the Coalition will try to defeat the bill on its second reading in the Senate. Telstra’s 2009 net profit was just over $4 billion.
