Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Seriously, like all Australians and businesses, I cannot believe that the Prime Minister is blaming Labor for the way in which he has messed up the rollout of the NBN. Businesses and households across central Victoria are struggling because of the way in which this government and this Prime Minister have messed up the roll out of the NBN. I remind the Prime Minister that he came to Bendigo when he was the shadow communications minister and stood up in front of a crowded room of Bendigo and central Victorian businesses and promised that by 2016 they would all have fast, reliable internet. Sooner, faster, cheaper: that was the promise that this Prime Minister made to the people of central Victoria when he was the shadow communications minister. He has failed, because not only have not all of them got access to the NBN; those who have are constantly complaining of delays. Many people have chosen to stay on their ADSL copper network because it is more reliable. We have businesses that have been plagued by dropouts. We have businesses that are only a few kilometres from the CBD that have been told that their only option is satellite. We have had businesses that have had dropouts and delays to the extent that their EFTPOS machines aren't working. This government needs to stop blaming Labor and get on with the job of fixing the mess that it has created with the NBN rollout.