Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Cyclone, any issue. Frequently it is a matter of life and death. That is what telecommunications mean in a rural and regional area. People need to have confidence that they will have access to their telephones and to all the services previously provided by Telstra. There were time frames around that, but as we are aware, there are $50 million allocated to the NBN. Whether this is sufficient to deliver over time remains to be seen. However, $50 million on a USO to service the majority, all of Australia in rural and regional areas, is a major issue for my constituents and for those right around Australia in rural and regional areas.

As I said earlier, this is a life and death issue for some people. I get phone calls in my office from people who may have gone two days without a telephone. If you have overhead cabling and you do not have access, you are completely isolated. Most of the information people receive now comes that way and that is what they rely on. Like so many people, I have great concerns about NBN being a government monopoly. I have concerns about the lack of transparency, the lack of accountability and the fact that there is going to be so much going on in NBN Co. that taxpayers and this parliament will never ever know about.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that all Australians should have access to fast, affordable broadband, but certainly not at the price it is going to cost them. Along with many members on this side, I am very concerned that the $50 billion may well be just a start. With a 2020 time frame for rollout or access, it is going to be those of us in rural and regional areas who will be waiting the longest and will be most in need. These are the underserviced areas the government has chosen not to take up as a priority. So I support the amendments moved by the member for Wentworth.

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