Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was in two minds this morning about whether to deliver a speech in support of Australian shipping and the importance of Australian shipping to our domestic maritime fleet, to national security and to fuel security, or a speech outlining my position on plans to drug test people receiving income support payments. That might be a thorny issue for those opposite because, if we're going to drug test people who are intoxicated, we know where we should be looking first. It might be a corridor around the corner!

As it turns out, my speech is on neither of those because this morning I received an email addressed to me and my Tasmanian colleagues entitled 'I need your help'. With the indulgence of the House—I've spoken to the email's author and I have her blessing—I will simply read the email. It tells its own story:

I need your help.

I have recently completed construction on my dream home in Midway Point. I specifically selected Midway Point because of its pilot site for NBN's FTTP service, as well as the views, services and lifestyle.

I am a registered voter in Lyons.

First off, this is not about my frustration in not getting connected.

It is about the repeated horror of this process. In THIRTY YEARS of Public and Private Project Management and Process and Business Analysis I have never seen a process so broken.

This process should have 2 objectives:

1) connect the customer's service

2) communicate to all customers, providers and team members where the process is and the next steps. This process has so far accomplished neither.

For my specific experience, I have been trying to get my NBN connected through iiNet for the past 3 months.

Highlights:

I have reason to believe that the information about my NBN work order has not been updated to reflect the work completed on 3 August.

I am stuck in an infinite loop between iiNet and NBN's portal information. It has been impossible to find a customer service person in iiNet or NBN who can answer my questions.

Can someone please tell me why my order is not being processed, and what I have to do to get it?

I have no phone or internet service at my house currently, making me worse off than I was before.

I IMPLORE YOU as our elected officials who have enslaved us to this process to see that the process is fixed.

Over the next 18 months, many I know will undertake this process, and they are, like me VOTERS.

Thank you for your attention and support.

Julie Zimmerman, Midway Point.

Julie is not alone.

An honourable member: She has a good local member!

She has an excellent local member! She turfed out the last one. I'm a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the NBN. We heard much evidence across all states and regions over the past year about ongoing frustrations with the NBN. A report will be delivered to the parliament soon about all of that.

This all gets laid at the feet of—we know who—the member for Wentworth, the Prime Minister. It can all be laid at his feet. As communications minister under the former Prime Minister, it was the member for Wentworth who took a pickaxe to Labor's vision of a super-fast, fibre-based NBN, and in so doing he condemned Australia to a second-rate broadband service. For the pro-business party, you blokes have set this country back decades.

Mr Falinski interjecting—

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar will cease interjecting.

Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We were 11th in the world for the broadband and now we're 50th. We're behind Kenya.

Government members interjecting—

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Federation Chamber has the same respect as the chamber downstairs.

Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. What a rabble on the other side. We are now 50th internationally for broadband, compared to Kenya, which is 43rd. Kenya is ahead of Australia, thanks to the mess this government's made of NBN policy and NBN planning. We know who to lay the blame with for this.

Julie is an expert in this area. This is her work. She knows all about processes and what should happen, and she says she's never seen a process that is worse. These are words that the government should take heed of. They should stop blaming people like her for the problems that they themselves have created.