House debates Questions without Notice

Broadband

Wednesday, 6 December 2017 House of Representatives

Bill Shorten

Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

3:11 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister promised that every Australian would have access to the NBN by the end of 2016. It's now the end of 2017. Prime Minister, how many Australians still do not have access to the NBN?

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

The claim the honourable member made, as I said yesterday, is completely false. What I said was that our objective was that, by 2016, everyone would have access to 25 megabits per second, not that the NBN would be completed by 2016. Of course, people have access to broadband in many different ways. Anyone on an HFC network has had access to 25 megabits for years, and many have had access to that on ADSL. So the honourable member, once again, just as he did with 'Mediscare', is misrepresenting and is telling falsehoods. He thinks he can get away with putting words in other people's mouths and, if he says it often enough, people might believe him.

But, on the real issue with his shiftiness, just consider this. Consider his companion there, the member for Isaacs. This is the man who has gone after the member for Kooyong. He has been out there arguing that Josh Frydenberg is a citizen of the country that, but for the arrival of the Red Army, would have pushed his mother into a gas chamber.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

I just say to the—

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

That's what the member for Isaacs is up to. And they claim—

Opposition members interjecting—

He has. You doubt it? That's what he said.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Whilst this is a very hot debate on citizenship, I have to point out to the Prime Minister that the question was about the NBN. Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

Yes, Mr Speaker, and I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.