Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Does the minister recall the Prime Minister’s statement just last month:

One of the most important responsibilities of the Commonwealth government is to provide infrastructure for future growth and development of our nation.

Is the minister aware that there are currently two proposals for the rollout of a multibillion-dollar fibre-to-the-node broadband network that have been stalled for more than 18 months due to inappropriate regulatory structures? Why has the government failed to end this farce? Haven’t you failed in your responsibility to ensure the delivery of this important broadband infrastructure for the future growth of our nation?