Communications Minister Anika Wells has accused Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and Angus Taylor of “going off half-cocked” by suggesting, without evidence, that China may have been behind the major Telstra outage that affected millions of Australians nationwide on Wednesday.
The outage, caused by an issue with a time-keeping server, left thousands of Telstra mobile customers unable to make calls or access data. Telstra, which powers about 25 million mobile services across the country, confirmed the disruption on Wednesday morning. By 10am AEST, 90% of services were restored, but the outage also impacted some triple-zero calls and services reliant on mobile internet, such as train networks and electric vehicles. Telstra’s CFO, Michael Ackland, stated on Wednesday evening that the network issues were fully resolved and not the result of a cyber incident.
Wells criticises opposition for unfounded China claims
Speaking to the media, Wells said there was no evidence of malicious activity, contradicting Taylor, who earlier questioned whether the outage was linked to a Chinese missile test in the Pacific this week. Taylor claimed it was among “many questions Australians are asking” but offered no evidence. Joyce similarly raised the possibility, telling Sky News: “I don’t want to be paranoid or a conspiracy theorist, but we know there is the capacity for China to affect that sort of software and that sort of network.”
Wells responded: “As of today, there is no current evidence to suggest that is the case, apart from two parliamentarians going half-cocked.” She added: “As a general principle, I think when it comes to matters of national security, you shouldn’t make stuff up … I think it’s irresponsible.”
Wells, who returned from leave to address the crisis, revealed that the federal Triple Zero Custodian—established after the 2025 Optus outage that resulted in multiple deaths when callers could not reach emergency services—had advised Telstra that some callers were unable to connect. Welfare checks are being conducted for those affected, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) will review the incident. “All telcos, including Telstra, have strict requirements in relation to welfare checks for disconnected triple zero calls,” Wells said.
McBain condemns Henderson’s triple-zero test calls
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain criticised Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson after the Liberal senator admitted to “testing” the triple-zero system during the outage by making unnecessary calls—an act that carries criminal penalties. Henderson rejected suggestions she breached the law, claiming the law pertains to “hoax” calls, but McBain said: “The last thing we need is anyone making test calls to triple zero. We teach our kids not to prank call triple zero, and I think it is absolutely outrageous that the shadow communications minister has been making test calls to triple zero.”
Henderson later defended her actions, stating: “It is my job to hold the government and the telecommunications carriers to account on critical services such as the operation of the triple-zero network.” She said she called triple zero twice initially, and when calls did not connect, she notified a senior Telstra representative. “I am not going to apologise for doing my job,” she added.
In an ABC TV interview, Henderson strongly denied breaking any laws, calling such suggestions “ridiculous,” and said she did not ask staff to place similar calls. Taylor shrugged off the issue but encouraged Australians not to use triple zero unnecessarily, saying: “There are questions that need to be answered from the government, and they haven’t been answered, and this is why people are trying to understand the situation.”
Wells demands Telstra accountability
Wells declined to comment on whether Telstra should pay compensation to customers but insisted the company must “make things right.” She noted: “Telcos are the least-trusted industry in our country as we stand today, and days like today demonstrate exactly why Australians feel that way.” Henderson has called for Acma to report on the outage within seven days, rather than a lengthy inquiry, to enact interim measures and obtain immediate answers. She also urged bolstered mandatory standards and “appropriate penalties” for telco providers.
