Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Why did the minister mislead the Senate on 3 February 2009 by restating his ambition to sign an NBN contract the following month when it has now been revealed in the Auditor-General’s damning report on the failed NBN RFP process that he knew by then his tender process was already doomed to fail?

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

Thank you for that question, Senator Minchin, and for your ongoing lack of interest in your former shadow portfolio.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, just address the question.

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

This is a very serious accusation being made by Senator Minchin so I want to make it very, very clear: I utterly reject your allegation and for the following reasons. I know that Senator Minchin enjoyed the portfolio and that he had other things on his mind. On 9 April last year, we revealed the secret that the evaluation panel recommended no-one was value for money. It has taken nearly nine months for you to allege that what I said in February of last year was misleading the parliament. Now either it was a serious mislead nine months ago and you were not paying attention, or you are simply so empty—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, address your comments to the chair and not across the chamber. Shouting across the chamber at any time in the Senate is completely disorderly.

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

Let me be clear: I utterly reject this assertion. If you wanted to make this assertion, the time to do it was nine months ago. I appreciate that you were not paying any attention to the portfolio nine months ago. We revealed on April 9 that there was no value for money in any of the recommendations and that it was given to us on January 20. Either it was a serious mislead back then, Senator Minchin—

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Minchin interjecting—

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

No, that is not at all the case.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz interjecting—

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

I am glad Senator Abetz keeps interjecting, Mr President, because I want to take you to the Auditor-General’s report. Under the heading ‘Conclusion’, here is what the Auditor-General said— (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the Auditor-General’s finding that non-Telstra proposals were likely to present significant risks, including the payment of billions in compensation to Telstra, why did the minister tell the Senate in February that he was still confident of signing a contract when Telstra had been excluded from the tender in the previous December?

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

If I can just go to the Auditor-General’s report that Senator Minchin is selectively quoting from, here is the conclusion on page 86:

The Panel, assisted by the department, specialist advisers and other Australian Government departments and agencies, assessed NBN proposals in accordance with the evaluation plan. The Panel’s Evaluation Report is an accurate reflection of the proposal assessments, which have been adequately documented. Despite the RFP process’ complexity and short timeframe, the Panel and the department conducted the formal process well, and in accordance with the CPGs. However, the Panel did not recommend any proposals to the Minister.

The danger of reading the commentary here is that you do not bother to go and read the actual report. When you read the conclusions of the Auditor-General’s report, he gives a complete exoneration of the process. (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the Auditor-General’s damning indictment of the minister’s handling of the NBN mark 1 RFP process, which wasted $30 million of taxpayers’ and bidders’ money, how can the parliament and the public have any confidence in this minister’s ability to deliver the $43 billion NBN mark 2?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When the commentary finishes, I will give the minister the call.

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

Again, the conclusion does not support the question you have just put. It is very simple. Even more informative is that the Auditor-General did not recommend one single thing. He made a number of recommendations after you had completed the T3 float, Senator Minchin, and on a whole range of other government programs that had been completed, but he did not make one single recommendation. There is no basis for you to make the claims you have made in these questions. You continue to be out of your depth and it is a relief you have been moved.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When we have silence, we will proceed. I remind senators that the time for debate across the chamber is at the end of question time.