Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

One of the reasons I am particularly happy to receive this question from Senator Smith is that when I was at the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Music event last night, at Queens Terrace, it was a bit of a walk down memory lane when I bumped into former Senator Conroy, who I think we all miss in this place, which got me thinking about the contrast between what our predecessors achieved with the NBN—or did not achieve—and what this government has achieved. So I know that you, Mr President, along with all colleagues, will join with me in being absolutely delighted that last week NBN reached a new connection record of 32,769 service activations in a single week. That is more than 6½ thousand services switched on each and every business day. And not only is NBN hitting new peaks each week; it has this week surpassed the two million mark for connected customers.

Thinking back to a previous time, under a previous government, the contrast has been pretty dramatic. Even looking at the last 10 months under this government, the NBN was available to one million premises in Australia but that number has now climbed to 4.4 million premises. That is an incredible achievement. The former shadow Minister, Mr Clare, described it as a jump that even Evel Knievel could not mount. Anyway, we have managed to do that. So that is good news for all colleagues on the NBN.