Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the question from the member for Wentworth about this very important national investment, which has got the potential to lift the speed of our economy, to substantially improve productivity and to take the Australian economy into the 21st century in a confident way. He mentioned the red book, and I think there would have been similar advice in the blue book as well. It pays to read these documents in full, because what the red book said to the incoming government was simply this. It said: ‘A more competitive and hence more efficient and productive telecommunications sector will come from the NBN.’ It went on to say: ‘It is a transformational infrastructure resource for the economy, enabling new and enhanced ways of delivering business and government services and facilitating communication.’

Nothing could be more dishonest than to put that question the way it was put by the member for Wentworth, because the fact is that Treasury is very, very supportive of the NBN and has been involved in the process from day 1. It is important we go through this, because the fiction has been maintained by those opposite that there has not been a substantial business case built for the NBN, and of course there has been a very substantial amount of study and work from experts, both domestic and international. It started with the independent expert panel shortly after we were elected. Sitting on that independent expert panel was the Secretary to the Treasury. They are quoting Treasury advice. It is very important to understand these linkages.

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