A new appointment at the company behind the National Broadband Network signals dodgy relationships between the Federal Government and private sector, some say.

NBN Co has hired one of the most senior executives of media organisation News Corp Australia to be its new chief financial officer.

Mr Stephen Rue has taken the position after serving News Corp as chief financial officer from 2003 to 2013.

The move appears to contradict Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s previous claims that new NBN executives would come from experience in the telecommunications area specifically. 

The appointment will be taken by the telecommunications industry as a clear sign of an allegiance between the architects of the NBN and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and Foxtel empire, reports say.

Opponents of the direction that the NBN planning has taken say that Mr Rue’s appointment shows the nationwide broadband project will be watered-down to present less competition to the private sector, while also benefiting private interests.

It comes just a week after former independent MP Rob Oakeshott claimed the NBN policy under the LNP government has the “potential to return millions and millions of dollars in future profits” to News Limited and Telstra through Foxtel.

Oakeshott allegedly made the call in his new autobiography. 

“As much as I have personal regard for Malcolm Turnbull, I think his telecommunications policy is wholly owned by Telstra and News Limited. It does nothing for consumers, and is a massive win for a couple of corporate boards,” he wrote.