Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

In all of the discussion about the first year of the Rudd government—about the very few things that have actually been achieved in the midst of 168 new reviews and committees of inquiry, all the empty symbolism and the stunts, and the bungled response to the global financial crisis—we have not heard much about how different Australia would be if there were still a coalition government in place. Today we are going to talk about one area where there would have been significant difference in what has been achieved had the coalition remained in office. Had we retained government we would already be unveiling a nationwide fast broadband network. It would already be happening. Many people for the first time would have access to fast broadband speeds and others—in fact, most of Australia—would be looking forward to connecting during 2009 and, shortly after, 100 per cent of Australians would have access to high-speed broadband. No ifs or buts, the network would have been delivered. The contract had been signed and the work had started. How different it is under Labor.

Our plan, Australia Connected, was announced in June last year and would have made available fast broadband options to 100 per cent of the population in 2009. It would have used a variety of delivery methods and provided relatively low-cost broadband at speeds of up to 50 megabits per second. Strong broadband provider competition already exists in metropolitan areas. Where it does not exist in rural and regional areas the $958 million OPEL contract would have rolled out a high-speed metro-equivalent network. The coalition’s $2 billion Communications Fund, which had already grown to $2.4 billion, would have provided future-proofing for the time when inevitably technology moved ahead of what was available under this network. Fifty megabits a second may not cut the mustard anymore some time in the future.

We recognised that the provision of cable would not be economical right across the country, so there was a $2,750 subsidy for satellite and other similar technology that could have served the most remote areas. We were not only making provision to give all Australians access to metropolitan style broadband speeds but ensuring that for future generations there would be funding available so that new technologies would be made available not just in the wealthy areas of the country, not just where there are extensive populations that make that infrastructure economical, but to everyone. The Communications Fund future-proofed Australia. It ensured that there was funding available every year to advance technology in those places where otherwise it may not have been economical.

We had a plan in place not only to deliver fast broadband speed immediately but also to ensure that the whole of the country stayed together when it came to introducing new types of technology. That is what might have been. That is what we could have had. Instead, we have today one of the most appalling mishmashes I have ever seen in public policy. The government’s deadline for beginning—not concluding—construction of the national broadband network was to be the end of this year. We would have had ours substantially in place by the end of next year. Labor were only going to start at the beginning of this year. They have 36 days to get going. They have 36 days to honour their election promise. They are already six months behind with the calling of tenders. They have 36 days to get to work.

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