Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the NBN. We all know that in a former life our Prime Minister was the Minister for Communications, taking over the NBN when the coalition came to government. People, particularly on that side of the House, were excited because this supposedly experienced businessman was now in charge and everything was going to be right with the NBN. He certainly managed to double the cost. I wonder whether that means he has increased business profit, and whether that is what his business acumen was about. In my electorate of Lalor, swathes—most—of the electorate will not have the NBN by his promised date of the end of 2016. What is coming through loud and clear during the last week is that those people fortunate enough to get the original Labor Party NBN—fibre to the premises—are now dealing with an NBN that they cannot contact. I have an email here from a constituent who has had three appointments to get the NBN hooked up inside her brand-new home. These appointments were a week apart, but each time was a no-show. She is left having to contact Telstra, her provider—she cannot get direct access to the NBN, there is no-one to talk to at the NBN, she still does not have a home phone and she is running around with a mobile. She has to get in the car and drive around the corner to get reception to ring Telstra to say, 'Please can I have a phone', only to hear, 'We are not the NBN; sorry, love.' (Time expired)