Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows—

Mr President, I rise to speak in support of the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network) Bill 2008.

I do so because the Rudd Labor Government is serious about broadband serious about its commitment to deliver high-quality, accessible and affordable broadband to Australians from across our land whether city-dwellers or regional, rural or remote residents.

This legislation is the foundation on which a new, top-quality, accessible, national broadband network can be built.

We are serious about making up lost ground on broadband just as we are serious about addressing the mess left by more than 11 years of neglect when it comes to a range of infrastructure. The widespread availability of high-speed broadband has many benefits for Australian families and businesses.

Indeed, fast, reliable broadband is essential for our society: for families, for education, for medicine and health, for small business, and for the economy.

We have been left the same legacy of neglect in the areas of climate change and water foreign aid reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians the list goes on.

Our nation has suffered because of the Howard years when it comes to housing affordability when it comes to job security and workers’ rights and when it comes to humane treatment of refugees.

There are many more areas I could mention.

However, my words are not about doom and gloom. Rather, the dark days the politics of self-interest and greed are behind us.

Now, with a new government one ready to look forward and strive for better, brighter times for everyone rather than a privileged few we can make progress.

As this Government has shown since taking office last November—and in its first budget just this week—that it is serious about tackling the issues which matter most to Australians.

We are serious about getting the job done and we need to be there’s a lot of ground to make up.

This government has committed up to $4.7 billion for the new broadband network to reach 98% of Australians.

This Network, which will be built over five years from this year, will deliver a minimum of 12 megabits per second over fibre-to-the-node or fibre-to-the-premises structures.

It will support top-quality voice, data and video services and, at last, allow genuine competition in the telecommunications sector.

It is a big deal—rivalling the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme in terms of national significance—and requires a strong, sure and enduring commitment from the government.

That’s exactly what we’re making.

We’ve been criticised for introducing legislation enabling us to use the $2 billion Communications Fund for the network’s regional rollout.

But if, like the previous government, we were only using interest earned from the fund for this massive project, it would take 35 years to match our $4.7 billion broadband plan.

Indeed, the former government talked long and loud about broadband but did little.

When it did come up with plans, there were promises made these schemes would never have delivered.

Meanwhile, Australia dropped further and further behind the rest of the world—we were ranked only mid-range out of countries surveyed by the OECD.

Still, the coalition came up with proposal after proposal, none of which stood the tests of time and effectiveness.

The plan the former government finally decided to take to the Australian people at last year’s election—for broadband delivery through the OPEL consortium—has since been axed in the interests of regional Australia.

That move was based on the assessment of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, which showed OPEL networks would cover only 72% of under-served premises—falling well short of the 90% required under the consortium’s own contract.

In contrast, the Rudd Labor Government is backing rural and regional Australia.

We are showing our support to people without access to a metro-comparable broadband service and those living in so-called metropolitan “black spots” by pledging $270.7 million over four years to the safety net known as the Australian Broadband Guarantee.

The ABG will also give the 2% of Australians who are likely to miss out on coverage under the National Broadband Network access to better broadband services.

By backing the ABG until 2012—and making improvements to the program in response to industry and consumer feedback—this government is showing it is serious about leaving no-one behind when it comes to broadband.

The ABG runs parallel to the National Broadband Network, which will service 98% of Australians with their broadband needs.

This government has looked at the whole picture when it comes to Internet access and, in a further budget commitment, has announced a plan to create a safer on-line environment for children.

Aspects of this plan include overhauling the existing online safety website; developing a new web site specifically for children; providing education resources and a dedicated cyber-safety helpline; and expanding the terms of reference for the Cyber-Safety Consultative Working Group to include all aspects of cyber-safety.

However, tackling the complex area of cyber-safety is a little like putting the cart before the horse for those Australians who don’t even have decent access to broadband connections.

This Bill has been to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts of which I am a member for consideration.

Various stakeholders have made submissions on the Bill, the committee has made recommendations and amendments have been drawn up.

This legislation is another example of this government’s ambitious agenda its commitment to building a better, fairer, more knowledgeable Australia and its urgency to make up for lost time.

Like our ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, the national apology and many initiatives already delivered or in the process of development, this Bill will usher in a new chapter for Australia.

It is a chapter in which we take our rightful place in the world, an equal, progressive, forward-looking partner with other nations, especially our near neighbours and allies.

Therefore I commend this Bill to the Senate.