Senate debates

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Broadband

Suspension of Standing Orders

11:24 am

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

I note, Senator Lundy, that Mr Abbott was recently in Tasmania. You know what he told the Tasmanian Liberal Party conference? ‘We will be leaving the NBN in place in Tasmania.’ We know Mr Abbott is not a tech-head. We discovered that during the election campaign. Unfortunately, what he is again not quite telling the Tasmanian people is that when you close down the rest of the network on mainland Australia the Tasmanian NBN has to plug into it. The whole principle of the pricing—the reason Tasmanians are now getting the cheapest broadband they have ever got—is based on a national cross-subsidy. We are unashamed about this. Let us be very clear about this. If Australia Post can have a 45c stamp across Australia and if an ATM from all of the banks can have a uniform price to deliver ATM services across Australia, the NBN Co. can deliver a national uniform wholesale price. And that is exactly what we are going to do.

So when you promise the people of Tasmania that you are going to leave the Tasmanian NBN in place you need to then say, ‘And we’re going to keep the national cross-subsidy in place to provide you with the fairest and most affordable broadband that this country has seen.’ If you are going to demolish the rest of the National Broadband Network, have the honesty to tell the people in Tasmania who are signed up and using the National Broadband Network that their prices are about to skyrocket. There is no such thing as a Tasmanian national broadband network. It has to be plugged into the mainland network. If it is not plugged into the mainland network, prices will skyrocket. So have the courage, Mr Abbott and Senator Humphries, to tell the people of Gungahlin that, even if we are able to roll it out to them—which we will do—and you get elected, you are going to turn it off and send their prices through the roof. That is your position. Tell the people of Gungahlin that. Go out there and hold a public meeting. Tell them, ‘We’ll let you keep the fibre to your home, but the price of it is going to go through the roof because there is no national cross-subsidy.’

Let us be clear about this. The first release sites on mainland Australia are under construction today—Brunswick, Townsville, Minnamurra, Kiama Downs, Armidale and the rural town of Willunga in South Australia. What has been the interest? I am embarrassed for you, Senator Birmingham. As a South Australian, with some of the worst broadband in the country, what are you going to say to the 84 per cent of Willunga residents who have decided they want access to the National Broadband Network? Are you going to talk out of the side of your mouth? ‘No, no. It’s okay. We’ll leave it in place—but we’re going to close the rest of the national network down.’ Eighty-four per cent have signed the form to say, ‘Attach it to the side of our house.’

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