Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to be able to co-sign this motion with Senator Lundy to establish a select committee into the NBN. On 17 October I wrote to our new communications minister, Mr Turnbull, congratulating him on his appointment and asking him his intentions for re-establishing the Joint NBN Committee—which I, government members, coalition members and Senator Xenophon were involved in creating—an oversight committee to watchdog the rollout of the NBN, which, as we know, was very popular but was also troubled. The committee played quite a valuable role under the chairmanship of Mr Oakeshott.

While in opposition Mr Turnbull participated in that committee. I think all members who participated got value out of it. I had no response from Mr Turnbull. He has not re-established the Joint NBN Committee and I do not believe he that he intends to. That is why this select committee is necessary—to police, to the degree that we can, the shambles that is now being presided over, given that anybody with any knowledge of construction of that network is being washed out of the organisation. It is absolutely essential for an investment of this scale, given the privatisation mentality that this government seems to be bringing to the debate, that we salvage whatever we can from the wreckage that Mr Turnbull is now presiding over. So I would encourage members from all sides of this chamber to participate and to do what we can to retrieve the best we can from the wreckage of this government's broadband policy.