Anika Wells ridicules Angus Taylor and Barnaby Joyce for linking Telstra outages with China

Kristy McBain criticises shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson for ‘testing’ Triple-zero system during major network blackout

The communications minister, Anika Wells, has accused Barnaby Joyce and Angus Taylor of “going off half-cocked” by raising without evidence the prospect of China having been behind the major Telstra outage affecting millions of Australians nationwide.

The federal emergency management minister, Kristy McBain, also criticised the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, after the Liberal senator said she had “tested” the triple-zero system by making unnecessary calls to the emergency line – which carries a criminal penalty.