Ziggy Switkowski has confirmed the writing was on the wall for his predecessor and former head of NBN Co Siobhan McKenna before the Abbott government had won office.
Ms McKenna and all but one of her board colleagues offered their resignations to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull late in September following months of speculation that Dr Switkowski would take over.
Dr Switkowski confirmed to a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday that he had been approached for the role of NBN Co chairman by the coalition before the September 7 election.
"In very general terms, absolutely. And it was made clear that it was one of several options," Dr Switkowski said.
When pressed by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam what the other options were, Dr Switkowski replied: "That's not an area I'd go into."
Dr Switkowski said he was approached by the coalition for his views on the national broadband network (NBN) as far back as April - but insisted he did not assist in the policy framework taken to the election.
"I was one of, I presume, many people that the opposition minister was consulting with around NBN Co seeking views," Dr Switkowski said.
When asked by Senator Ludlam how he could give his views on the NBN without contributing to policy, Dr Switkowski replied, "one has conversations with politicians about matters all of the time".
"Mr Turnbull and I go back a ways," he said.
"It would have been presumptuous of me to offer views on NBN policy when I had spent the previous several years at some distance from the telcoms industry."
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