Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That cost me 50 bucks. Fifty buck for Joe Ludwig—I have got two questions this year!

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When the mirth has subsided, we will return to Senator Birmingham so he can ask his question.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister confirm that over the last two years, 60 per cent of NBN Co.'s key management personnel have resigned, including executives in charge of construction, executives in charge of network operations, executives in charge of business development, executives in charge of commercial strategy as well as the NBN Co. chief financial officer?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President, and, apologies, Senator Ludwig, that is 50 bucks—two for the year! It is no surprise that those opposite have only asked their second question about the NBN of me this year, because they have so little to actually campaign on that they are reduced to drawing irrelevant additions and subtractions about how many staff have left the NBN.

Those opposite do not want to know about the 758,000 homes that we will have under construction or completed by the end of this year. What we have here is a transparent attempt to try and smear the NBN management yet again. It was not good enough for Mr Turnbull, a man who knows a great deal about financing—how much did Malcolm Turnbull pay the HIH liquidators back—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, you need to refer to people in the other place by their correct titles, you need to address your answer to the chair, and you need to address the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President, how much did Mr Turnbull pay back the HIH liquidators over that debacle? How much did he pay back?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, you need to address the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull is well placed to want to talk about probity! But this is nothing more than another pathetic smear. Prices are cheaper than, or equal to, what are currently in the market. We are on target to beat our construction, and the quality of the NBN service is talked about in newspapers by customers across the land. Those opposite have got absolutely no credibility when it comes to wanting to smear NBN with some purported claim about people coming and going after three years. (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that, of the nine directors of NBN Co., all of whom were hand picked by his government, three have already stepped down and a fourth will do so in December? Is it also correct that the only board member with hands-on telecom experience, Doug Campbell, left in 2010? Is this, to use the minister's own word, as irrelevant as the 60 per cent-plus staff turnover in key management personnel?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have noted the opposition's recent attack on some of the finest businesspeople in this country. They have attacked—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, resume your seat. When there is silence, we will proceed.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite have decided: 'We can't attack the pricing anymore, we can't attack the rollout anymore, we can't attack the quality of the service anymore, so what can we try and do? We'll start attacking management; we'll start attacking the board.' The board have signed off on their corporate plan. Have I had one single question since the corporate plan was released in this chamber? Not one, because those opposite are simply following Mr Abbott's line—that they intend to demolish the NBN. Do not believe what Mr Turnbull is trying to say. Those luddites over there— (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister explain, if the senior executives of NBN Co. and the board members of NBN Co. can all see how shambolic the NBN is and are resigning in droves, how it is that Australians should have any confidence that this $50 billion project with revolving door leadership which has failed to meet any of its key targets to date, will indeed meet any targets anytime in the future?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence we will proceed. Senators are aware that debate across the chamber is disorderly.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite attacked the government, attacked NBN Co. in February-March this year, and they said, 'They will never reach it. We will hold them to account. They won't reach 758,000 homes under construction or completed by December this year.' Well, as Mr Quigley told the joint parliamentary committee on Tuesday night, we are on target and we will meet 758,000. The corporate plan—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Senator Brandis interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Brandis accused Mr Quigley of being a liar, which followed his earlier comment that 'all of their executives are crooks'. I ask you to ask him to withdraw both assertions.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brandis, you should withdraw that.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It would assist the chair if there were not this constant calling out that goes across the chamber. It is very hard to hear comments that go on across the chamber when I should be listening to the minister.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend Senator Brandis on withdrawing. I am sure that in the heat of the moment there are things we all say that we rather wish we had not, so I wanted to commend him for that, Mr President. Those opposite simply do not want to know the facts—758,000 homes commenced construction by December this year. The member for Wentworth will eat those words— (Time expired)