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

I have referred previously in this place to the Page Research Centre report, authored by two good senators: Senator Nash and Senator Joyce. That report noted:

A sound telecommunications infrastructure can … assist in the economic development of non-metropolitan communities.

The report recommended a fibre solution for regional Australia and, while the current National Party policy calls for fibre to be rolled out to a majority of consumers in regional Australia, the actual coalition policy does no such thing. What is the coalition policy, you might ask? Is it a commitment to abolish the cross-subsidy? Worst still is the latest coalition broadband plan, which does not articulate any fibre delivery to regional Australia. (Time expired)