Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy. What are the benefits to small business and the service economy of a national broadband network? Are there any alternative policy perspectives on the role of the digital revolution?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before calling the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy, I remind the House that I do not look favourably upon the wording used in the second part of the question. It should be more specific.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Isaacs for his question and for the opportunity to visit the South East Melbourne Manufacturing Alliance with him in Dandenong, just outside his electorate, before the last federal election, which gave me extra perspectives on the challenges facing small businesses. A high-speed national broadband network will be of particular benefit to small businesses. About 93 per cent of small businesses are connected to the internet. The government’s national high-speed broadband network will provide fast broadband services to 98 per cent of Australia. The government broadband rollout will provide real opportunities for small businesses, especially those in the service economy, to expand into new markets while also keeping upfront costs and risks to a minimum.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Marino interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Forrest is warned!

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

High-speed broadband also provides opportunities to reduce the cost of doing business by cutting administrative costs and increasing productivity through the adoption of new technologies. I was asked about alternative policy perspectives. A speech delivered to the Sydney Institute in 1999 provides such perspectives. The speech says:

The fusion of computing and communications, especially through the internet, have broken the bounds of time, cost and distance.

I was fascinated to see that this is a perspective shared in its entirety with the United Nations Human development report published in that same year, which said:

The fusion of computing and communications—especially through the internet—has broken the bounds of time, cost and distance …

The speech went on to observe:

In biotechnology, the ability to identify and move genetic materials across species types has broken the bounds of nature, creating totally new organisms with enormous but unknown implications …

Now, the Human development report says:

In biotechnology the ability to identify and move genetic materials across species types has broken the bounds of nature, creating totally new organisms with enormous but unknown implications.

The speech went on to say:

… both the communications technologies and the biotechnologies are fuelling globalisation, opening new markets and giving rise to new actors.

I thought that was familiar, because it says in the UN Human development report:

Both technologies are fuelling globalization, opening new markets and giving rise to new actors.

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors, Tourism and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. How is this possibly relevant to information technology, the nondelivery of broadband or small business? It has nothing to do with it.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moncrieff will resume his seat, and along with the rest of us he will listen to find the relevance—because I am sure that the minister is coming to it.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it is coming—it is on its way. The final point that was made in this learned speech to the Sydney Institute in 1999, and it is the final point, was:

… but my point is that, compared with most traditional tools for—

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors, Tourism and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister is ignoring your comments earlier. He needs to be relevant to the question that was asked. This is completely irrelevant.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, I have indicated to the member for Moncrieff that I am listening very carefully to where the minister is going; and I am assuming that he is coming to a conclusion.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am indeed, Mr Speaker. The learned speech to the Sydney Institute says:

… but my point is that, compared with most traditional tools for development, information and communication technologies can reach many more people, go geographically deeper, work faster and at lower cost.

Well, was it the author’s point, Mr Speaker? Was it indeed the author’s point, because in the Human development report it says:

Compared with most traditional tools for development, information and communications technologies can reach many more people, go geographically deeper, work faster and at lower cost.

Who is the author? The shadow Treasurer—the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She has been caught out copying again. She is a serial offender. At that time the now shadow Treasurer was a backbencher, and she delivered that speech at the same forum on the same day with me. We did not have chiefs of staff—we were backbenchers. It was not the fault of a chief of staff this time. The member for Curtin, the shadow Treasurer and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, is a serial offender and she has been caught red-handed yet again.