Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the lead-up to last year's elections as I campaigned to win the confidence of the electors of Scullin, the NBN rollout was a feature of many conversations, generally taken by the constituents to me rather than the other way around. Right across the Scullin electorate, there was a real sense of excitement—in particular amongst those communities, such as South Morang and Mill Park, in which the NBN was already being rolled out. Voters were excited by Labor's 21st century nation building and what bridging the digital divide might mean to them and their communities—the promise of a new world of work and of leisure was especially revolutionary in outer suburban communities.

So I read with interest on 21 February that NBN Co were launching the trial of what is described as an 'alternative broadband network' in Epping in Victoria in the heart of the Scullin electorate. This is, of course, not the rollout of the Labour's fibre-to-the-home National Broadband Network but instead the coalition's fibre-to-somewhere-in-your-neighbourhood-and-copper-to-your-home network. I noted a report in the Business Spectator that mentions:

I am not surprised that the coalition would not want to use part of the copper network that reportedly sits in plastic bags to keep it out of the rain, but wouldn't that be the real test of the copper network? The coalition is clearly afraid of what such a test would yield. Why else would it resort to doctoring these trials by using a patched-up part of the copper network, which it will then use to pretend that all users on the network can expect to receive the same speeds? Is this substantial remediation going to occur across the network? I doubt it.

The government says its copper to the home network can be rolled out faster. Given that households are already connected to the copper network, I should hope so. What an extraordinary proposition that this is the best justification they can find. But I can think of a more substantial and cost-effective remediation that should be rolled out—Labor's National Broadband Network. To talk about its benefits, I refer to an NBN Co media release from the 24 February of this year, 'Melbourne's copper countdown. Silver surfers urged to jump on the broadband bandwagon'. It quotes a lucky Brunswick local, who said he:

and that—

As a candidate I had many such conversations, and these continue now I am a member. In particular, I see how the digital hub at the Mill Park library was opening up a new world to so many right across the community via interest in the possibilities of the NBN—Labor's NBN. I remember one man who had bought his first computer at 80 and with it a new lease on life due to Labor's fibre-to-the-home NBN. If only all residents in Scullin, and indeed throughout Australia, could be as fortunate as this gentleman in Mill Park. This government is ensuring premises on one side of the street will have superfast internet while premises on the other side are stuck in the slow lane.