Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government representing the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Minister, given that none of the tenders submitted to build the national broadband network goes close to meeting the government’s election promise to provide fibre to the node to 98 per cent of the Australian population, what is the real cost of meeting the government’s guarantee to provide regional Australia with access to a world-class, fibre-to-the-node broadband network?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for his question. The fact is that there is a divide in this House. There is a divide between those people who support world-class broadband and those who failed to act for 12 long years. I find it particularly interesting that it is not the shadow minister for this portfolio but the Leader of the National Party who asks a question relating to regional services, because what we know is that under the former government’s plan for broadband they had two systems: one for the city—one for my electorate, in which you could get world-class broadband services—and another for his own. The one for his own, of course, was a second-class system.

What we saw from those opposite over 12 long years was a different plan every month but no action. There were different plans for regional communities, different plans for the nation, but no actual progress. What this government is committed to as part of our commitment to lifting world-class infrastructure and nation building is $4.7 billion as our contribution to building the national broadband network. We know this is critical for Australia’s economic growth. We know that when it comes to national broadband we rate below Slovenia when it comes to world-class broadband.

John Cobb (Calare, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If the minister does not know the answer to that question, then let him say so and sit down instead of trying to avoid it.

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

The member for Calare will resume his seat. The minister will respond to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course we also have for schools the hundred million dollar program done by the Deputy Prime Minister for fibre to the schools, which will work in with our computers in schools program. When it comes to a national broadband network and modern communications we stand for progress. They stand with the world of dinosaurs. They are not only opposed to our national broadband network, they are not only opposed to national infrastructure and they are not only opposed to nation building; they are actually opposed to the computers themselves.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on relevance, Mr Speaker. I asked specifically about the cost of delivering a world-class broadband scheme to regional Australia, as the government promised, and the minister is simply not attempting to answer.

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

I would remind the minister that the question was to do with broadband.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely, Mr Speaker, because we on this side know that to get broadband in schools you actually need a computer, something that is not understood by those opposite. When it comes to infrastructure, whether it be communications, whether it be rail, whether it be roads, whether it be water, whether it be ports, those opposite stand opposed to every single initiative of the Rudd government. But we will not be deterred from our nation-building agenda.