It's the $1.5 billion dollar, plus leverage, question. When do we start and what's the process?

As National has acknowledged, they haven't put a lot of detail behind their proposals. This should surprise nobody - they've been in opposition and without access to the range of official advice their predecessors enjoyed.

But the plans, concepts and intellectual grunt to make this happen, quickly and efficiently, are all out there scattered around the community.

So in the event that I got a phone call inviting me to be Minister of Communications Outside Parliament (extraordinarily unlikely!) what would I do?

Step one - decide and announce the fate of the BIF (Broadband Investment Fund) applications. Be fulsome enough to acknowledge that conceptually the BIF has some real merit and many people have submitted high quality proposals. Where there is a good case, these should be allowed to proceed despite the politics.

Step two - gather the facts. The State Services Commission's wonderful Broadband Map is a huge resource. We've already got fibre to Alfriston, if not Africa - see for yourself. And these are times to look at doing more with what we already have, before we contemplate duplication.

Step three - identify the ideas and expertise. There are probably around 50 people in New Zealand who collectively have practical, as distinct from political, ideas to take us forward. They exist in the telecommunications industry, local government, central government including the SSC, consultancies, and industry groups such as InternetNZ, the TCF, and TUANZ. Among them is a special very select cluster of people who can say "I've done it" – iconic people like Steve Canny, Larry Podmore, and our own Chris O'Connell.

Step four - get the movers and shakers together. TUANZ's Green Paper called for a meeting of all stakeholders as soon as a new Minister is appointed - I referred to this earlier in the week as a "Telecommunications Hui" and this concept seems to have gained traction.

Above all else, the new Minister should keep an open mind. This is a time for pragmatism to win over ideology. There is no silver bullet - the best outcome will be a careful amalgam of many different ideas.

There are lots of capable, very genuine people out there willing to pitch in and help.

Many, TUANZ included, will be waiting for the phone to ring.