Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I am trying to. The NBN is vital for small business, and nowhere is this more true than in regional Australia because it reduces the barriers put up by the tyranny of distance that business, particularly in regional Australia, has to overcome. Regional businesses can adopt teleworking. They can attract new customers using content-rich websites. They can use web conferencing. It allows small business to access online services, including staff training, the latest news, research and account payment. So it has a vast range of applications which overcome the tyranny of distance. The government is prioritising the rollout of the NBN in regional Australia.

I notice Senator Joyce is not paying any attention. It is typical of the National Party. The rollout of the NBN in regional Australia, particularly in a state like my own, Tasmania, helps small business to unlock new opportunities, to compete in overseas markets—(Time expired)