Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

No, I certainly do not agree with the proposition that this government has not dealt with the need to allow people to live and learn smarter by reference to accessing broadband. I think that sometimes we get a bit mixed up, shall we say, with some of these figures that go around. Australia really is about comparable to Germany, France, the UK and the United States and has take-up that has grown faster than in any other OECD country except Denmark in the 12 months to 30 June 2006. These are important figures, because residential take-up of broadband increased by 63 per cent in regional areas and 41 per cent in metropolitan areas in the year to September 2006.

A major factor in broadband take-up has been price. That is one of the reasons why this government has been keen to ensure that—notwithstanding the preparedness of the Labor Party to roll back competition, to interfere in markets—the market will deliver, because that is really what gives consumers the best choice and keeps prices down. It also provides the best incentive for investment. It is important to know that the Australian government has continued to invest—