Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of the recent statement by Councillor Annie Clarke, Mayor of the Burke Shire Council in the Gulf of Carpentaria, that broadband was wasted in the gulf where residents are screaming out for basic services such as reticulated electricity, roads and mobile phone services? Minister, can you go up there and explain to these people why your government is about to splurge $43 billion on this much maligned NBN in preference to providing basic infrastructure services? (Time expired)