John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, representing the Minister for Communications. Will the minister update the House on the progress of the National Broadband Network? How is this nation-building infrastructure improving productivity and access to jobs across the country?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Groom, who's a very fierce advocate for improved connectivity for his electorate, for regional Australia, and indeed for the entirety of Australia. We have reached a very significant milestone: 5.8 million premises around the country are now able to connect. When we came to government, the number that were connected was a mere 50,000. It was 50,000, and now 5.8 million are able to connect.

In the member's electorate of Groom, we also have a very good story. Active premises in September 2013 numbered 1,211; it's now 39,000 active premises in Groom, and 68,000 able to connect. In the third quarter results released by NBN, it was demonstrated that, for the 12th consecutive quarter, NBN has met or exceeded its rollout and revenue targets.

What do we hear from Labor? They say, 'We would have done better.' Labor says they would have done better. If the shadow minister had been around in 1969, when a rocket reached the moon, her response would have been, 'No, we would have got to Mars.' That's her answer. I will say this to the shadow minister: your rocket never even left the launch pad. This is typical Labor. They make the big announcement. They were going to build the NBN over eight years to connect every premises in Australia in 2009. They were going to do it. It's like the NDIS. Remember, how they were going to fully fund the NDIS? That's Labor; they were going to do it. Remember how the member for Adelaide was going to end the double drop-off? She was going to end the double drop-off. She was going to build 260 childcare centres. When the program was cancelled, she'd built merely 38.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the House, the Labor Party is the 'gonna' party. They are always going to do it, but if you want to get it done, come to this side of the House. This is the side of the House that gets it done, and when it comes to the NBN we are getting it done, with 5.8 million premises able to connect.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.