Debate resumed from 19 August, on motion by Mr Albanese:

That this bill be now read a second time.

upon which Mr Billson moved by way of amendment:

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:“while not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House is of the opinion:

(1)    that given the lack of certainty about whether Labor’s debt-laden NBN proposal will even proceed, the Government should amend the legislation to limit the application of this bill to the implementation study only; and

(2)    that the Government should be condemned for its irresponsibility in refusing to conduct any cost benefit analysis for its NBN proposal and as such, risking billions of dollars of taxpayer funds on a project that may not even be commercially viable.

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