Kevin Rudd Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:43 pm
Prime Minister, on what basis was this list of 40 top electorates prepared? Prime Minister, what principle separates out the ‘A’ list, the top 40 electorates, from the ‘B’ list, the other 110 electorates?
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The overriding principle of the government’s policy is that 99 per cent of the Australian community will, in two years time, have access to very fast broadband, and that includes people represented by Labor members in this House as much as it includes people represented by Liberal and National members. I notice the Leader of the Opposition is focusing—
Bob McMullan Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Federal/State Relations
Mr McMullan interjecting
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
all of his questions on a leaked email and not on the difference in substance between his policy, that will raid the Future Fund and rob the superannuation of Australian soldiers and Australian Federal Police, and a plan from the government which will leave it to the private sector to provide what the private sector should provide and leave the government purse to provide those things that the private sector cannot provide. That should be the point of comparison. But let me put the troubled mind of the Leader of the Opposition at rest: this is a policy for all Australians, not for some Australians.
Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In the interests of all men and women who serve in the ADF and, indeed, with the Australian Federal Police, I genuinely and seriously, in a bipartisan manner, ask the Prime Minister to consider withdrawing that fear statement he put out to every one of those serving men and women.