Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network) Bill 2008. I seek leave to move government amendments (1) to (18) together.

Leave granted.

I move:

(1)

Schedule 1, item 10A, page 4 (lines 16 to 18), omit the item.

(2)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 5 (line 1), omit “An eligible carrier”, substitute “A carrier”.

(3)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 5 (lines 20 to 28), omit all the words beginning with “If a carrier enters” and ending with “direction issued by the Minister.”.

(4)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 6 (lines 10 and 11), omit the definition of eligible carrier in section 531B.

(5)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 8 (before line 18), before paragraph (a) of the definition of protected carrier information in section 531B, insert:

(aa)

any information that was given by a carrier to an authorised information officer during the period:

(i)

beginning on 27 February 2008; and

(ii)

ending 12 months after the commencement of this Part;       where, after the information was given, an authorised information officer gave the carrier a written undertaking, on behalf of the Commonwealth, that:

(iii)

after the commencement of this Part, the information would be treated as protected carrier information for the purposes of this Part; and

(iv)

the information would not be disclosed by an authorised information officer before the commencement of this Part; or

(6)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 8 (line 26) to page 9 (line 20), omit “eligible carrier” (wherever occurring), substitute “carrier”.

(7)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 11 (line 1), omit “Eligible carriers”, substitute “Carrier”.

(8)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 11 (line 3), omit “Eligible carriers”, substitute “Carriers”.

(9)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 11 (lines 6 to 16), omit “eligible carrier” (wherever occurring), substitute “carrier”.

(10)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 11 (line 27), to page 12 (line 33), omit section 531FA.

(11)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 13 (lines 8 to 12), omit subsection 531G(1A).

(12)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 18 (after line 26), after subsection 531G(4), insert:       (4A)                An entrusted public official is not required to give a carrier an opportunity to be heard in relation to a decision to use information under subsection (3A).

(4A)

An entrusted public official is not required to give a carrier an opportunity to be heard in relation to a decision to use information under subsection (3A).

(13)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 20 (lines 29 to 33), omit subsection 531K(1A).

(14)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 22 (lines 26 to 33), omit “subsections (1) and (1A)” (wherever occurring), substitute “subsection (1)”.

(15)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 23 (lines 10 to 16), omit paragraph 531L(1)(ca).

(16)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 23 (lines 22 to 25), omit subsection 531L(2).

(17)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 25 (lines 9 to 12), omit subsection 531P(1), substitute:

(1)

The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make rules relating to the storage, handling or destruction of protected carrier information.

(18)

Schedule 1, item 11, page 26 (line 3), to page 31 (line 13), omit Division 4.

The opposition amendments are opposed as they are technically flawed and are unnecessary because they are already covered by a number of the government amendments. The opposition, we know, have an appalling track-record when it comes to delivering a modern broadband system for the 21st century. They had 18 failed broadband plans in 11½ years. The opposition are indeed responsible for the digital divide. They were happy to sit back and let the industry deliver some broadband services to the capital cities while they left rural and regional Australia behind. This government has committed to bringing broadband for Australia into the 21st century as a part of its commitment to nation building through modern infrastructure.

See this speech in context