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

I thank the member for her question. One of the great benefits of the NBN is overcoming the tyranny of distance that has made it more difficult to do business in regional Australia than in the CBDs of our capital cities. That is why new areas switched on to the NBN so far this year include Gungahlin, Toowoomba, Coffs Harbour, Bacchus Marsh and Gosford. Right around the country in regional communities the NBN is overcoming that tyranny of distance. That is why it is important that it be rolled out throughout regional communities so as to overcome the digital divide.

But there is something even worse from the opposition which comes to pricing policy. We have ensured uniform national wholesale pricing so that, whether you live in Coffs Harbour or you live in Camperdown, you do it for the same price. But under the opposition policy that would go. The National Party pretend leader, Barnaby Joyce, told the Senate less than two years ago, 'The National Party believes in uniform pricing absolutely.' Well, they have been pretty quiet in recent times. And Fiona Nash has said:

… they are either deluding themselves, and at the same time the Australian public, if they think a FTTN will deliver high-speed broadband to rural and regional areas, or they are being deliberately deceitful and are trying to trick the public into supporting a plan they know is flawed.

Indeed it is a flawed plan. It is 'fraudband' and we need to make sure that the whole of Australia benefits from the NBN. (Time expired)

See this speech in context