Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Communications. Will the minister explain the importance of government agencies, including the NBN Co., giving the government—and the public—frank, credible, factual and correct information? And what are the consequences, Minister, of ignoring or indeed denying such information?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Madam Speaker, yesterday was a big day in the Senate for denying and ignoring information and truth and facts about the National Broadband Network. We had, in the morning in room 2S3, Ziggy Switkowski, the chairman of the NBN Co.—one of Australia's leading businessmen—laying out the facts about the NBN rollout. And what did the shadow defence minister have to say, Senator Conroy, appearing there in his shadow shadow role as broadband spokesman? After hours of abuse, he then proceeded to accuse Ziggy Switkowski of lying and misleading the Senate and he refused to retract—one of our most respected businessmen! But then—after being compared in this chamber with Lieutenant Onoda, who fought on in the jungle for 28 years—Senator Conroy careened into the Main Committee room, madder than ever, and then proceeded to accuse Lieutenant-General Campbell of being none other than Colonel Jessup—and he actually said: 'We are living in a movie, and you are Colonel Jessup.' Well, of course, that means that he obviously thought he was the incredibly handsome Daniel Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise. We can all see the resemblance—it's obvious! He can be excused for thinking that.

When it comes to denial of the facts, I think the better movie analogue is in fact Colonel Kurtz, leading the Labor Party further and further up the Conrovian River into delusion and denial. And you know, we remember the last scenes of that movie, as his temple fortress, his jungle fortress, is being smashed by bombs, fire everywhere, columns falling, walls collapsing—and what does he say? What does Colonel Conroy-Colonel Kurtz say, as he is dragged from the ruins? He says, 'I had immense plans, I had immense plans. I was on the verge of greatness!' Madam Speaker, the real summary of Colonel Conroy's performance are of course the most famous lines in that movie: 'The horror, the horror!'

Government members applauding—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! That is disorderly. We will have none of that. I call the Leader of the Opposition.