Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Watt for his question. The NBN, in contrast to the record of those opposite, is actually being delivered. When those opposite were on the Treasury benches, the NBN was a fantasy. Only 51,000 premises had been connected to the NBN nationwide, despite billions having been spent over four or five years. I am very pleased to advise the chamber that the NBN is now available to more than half the country. It is on track to be completed by 2020, which is a good six to eight years sooner than was proposed by those opposite, and at about $30 billion less cost.

Now, with a project of this scale, where you are effectively transferring the entire nation to a new telecommunications network—