Tony Abbott tried on Tuesday to distance himself from a 2001 decision taken by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations - for which he was then the Minister - to reject the fast-tracking of compensation for Telstra workers exposed to asbestos. Asbestos risk: One of the exposed pits in Penrith. Credit:Tamara Dean ‘‘I’m just not going to comment on who said what to whom,’’ he said at a press conference in Queanbeyan, when asked about his knowledge of the decision. ‘‘You can always ask the department.’’ Mr Abbott instead placed blame on the government for the asbestos ruptures which have plagued the roll out of the National Broadband network in the past week: ‘‘They knew there was a major [asbestos] problem with Telstra pits in 2009’’. Earlier in the day Labor spokeswoman Senator Louise Pratt told Fairfax the origins of the problem lay with Mr Abbott: ‘‘[Asbestos is] a problem that should have been drilled down to in Tony Abbott’s time.’’

Liberal Senator Fiona Nash said there was a distinction between knowing about dormant asbestos and embarking on a project that might lead to the release of the dangerous fibres. ‘‘If they didn’t consider that when NBN Co started doing the roll-out then that’s a huge oversight,’’ she said. The emergence of Telstra's attempt to get on the front foot on the issue in 2001 comes as the telco agreed to take ''ultimate responsibility'' to deal with asbestos used in its infrastructure. Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull tried to tag NBN Co as inept and to portray the Labor government as having dragged its feet on the issue. Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten said it was regrettable that politics was being played on asbestos. ''This issue should be off bounds,'' he said.

During a crisis meeting in Canberra on Monday, Telstra agreed to set aside compensation funds and take part in an independent taskforce to oversee any future claims by victims. Mr Shorten said the meeting did not agree to establish a new fund for asbestos victims but that Telstra chief executive David Thodey had assured the government that provisions had been made. The taskforce, to be chaired by asbestos expert Geoff Farey, will ensure compensation is paid where necessary. It will include senior Telstra executives, Asbestos Diseases Foundation president Barry Robson, the chief medical officer and Commonwealth and state regulators. On Monday urgent legislation that would facilitate a new national asbestos register also passed the lower house. If the bill clears the Senate, Australia would become the first nation to create a national body to prevent more people being exposed to deadly fibres. Mr Robson welcomed the plan for a national register as ''a fantastic initiative''. Residents have been forced to move from their homes in Penrith after construction workers digging up Telstra equipment to make way for the national broadband network exposed asbestos in the lining of existing copper wires.

Mr Thodey sought to reassure investors that the company could meet financial claims resulting from asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma. ''We have been managing the risk of the asbestos within our network for many years,'' Mr Thodey told the stock exchange. With James Robertson, Peter Hannam Follow the National Times on Twitter