Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Given that the government is sending to the Productivity Commission a carbon tax that it promised not to introduce, why does it continue to refuse to ask the Productivity Commission to examine the NBN, which it did promise to introduce, and in particular ask the Productivity Commission to prepare a cost-benefit analysis?

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

I want to congratulate Senator Bernardi for asking this question. I am sure that he has had a discussion with Senator Joyce, sitting beside him. Senator Joyce’s views on the Productivity Commission are well known, so I was just wondering whether, in this morning’s tactics committee meeting when they raised this Malcolm Turnbull demand for a cost-benefit analysis, they sought the views of Senator Joyce. I have here from the Australian of 31 March—

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

Senator Conroy, address the question.

Opposition Senators:

Hear, hear!

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

I am addressing the Productivity Commission issue. Senator Joyce stated:

People actually do read the Productivity Commission reports.

I don’t, I use them when I run out of toilet paper.

So those opposite who suddenly want to demand that we actually hold—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Conroy, continue.

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

The coalition’s introduction is just another of a long line of stunts designed to cover up their failed 20th broadband policy and their lack of a current broadband policy by demanding that we send the NBN off for a cost-benefit analysis. If the federal Liberals were serious about ensuring that Australians got access to the world’s best-class broadband network they would be supporting the National Broadband Network, not—as they have been doing—moving to defer, moving to delay, seeking to use the Senate to block. What have you got against the people of Willunga? Why don’t you want the people in Willunga, Senator Bernardi, to have a world-class broadband system? Why do you hate them so much?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. More than a minute ago you insisted Senator Conroy address the question. He is defying your ruling. On any view, nothing he is saying by way of abuse of the questioner is responsive to the question. You should insist that he obey your ruling.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order, that is just absolutely not true. What Senator Conroy is doing is replying to Senator Bernardi’s question about why the Labor government refuses to refer the NBN to the Productivity Commission. That is what the question was about. That is what Senator Conroy’s answer is about—directly to the point. If your search for relevance involves taking spurious points of order, Senator, I do not understand that. The minister was clearly on the topic of the question asked of him.

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

I believe the minister is answering the question. The minister has 12 seconds remaining.

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

Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, those opposite who are demanding a cost-benefit analysis are simply seeking to delay, and to ensure that residents of towns like Willunga, residents of towns like Mundingburra— (Time expired)

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister guarantee that no households will face any real increase in the cost of having and using their home phone under the NBN?

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

I am happy that those opposite are desperately keen to understand the pricing principles behind the National Broadband Network. As I have said repeatedly, the complex task involved in switching your analog phone from the copper network across onto the new fibre network is as complicated as unplugging it from one socket and plugging it into a different socket. So let us be clear: the science involved is that simple. As I have said repeatedly, the pricing plans of the National Broadband Network—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Can’t you hear me, Mr President? I see you are leaning forward.

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

Keep going; you’re right!

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

I was not sure if you could hear me over those opposite. The pricing plans of the National Broadband Network will be announced very shortly. When they are announced I am confident that those opposite will have nowhere to run and hide in their continual desire to stop— (Time expired)

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to yesterday’s release of the OECD economic survey, which highlights the limits on local access competition under the NBN, saying it will ‘eliminate competition’, represents ‘a de facto restoration of a public monopoly’ and ‘could forestall the development of superior technological alternatives’. Isn’t it true that consumers are going to end up paying for Labor’s NBN through higher prices, lost competition or both?

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

It is fascinating that those opposite cling to this ambition that there is some new technological development that is going to be able to be used on copper. Let me explain to you the laws of physics yet again. If you live in Willunga, you need to live within four kilometres of the exchange to get ADSL. If you live in Willunga and you want to get ADSL2+, you have to live within 1.5 kilometres of an exchange. And if you want the next generation of technology, called VDSL, you have to live within 900 metres. Those on the opposite side who keep clinging to this new technological development they are about to invent—

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. I asked specifically for him to respond to the claims made in the OECD report and he has not addressed that at all.

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

I believe the minister is answering the question. Proceed, Senator Conroy.

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

Those opposite, who cling to the OECD report about new technological inventions, want to try to claim that you can use copper to match the services of fibre. But the Chief Technology Officer of Telstra has put— (Time expired)