Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects) Share this | Hansard source

How big a piece of paper would have been needed to announce what Labor delivered on the NBN in its time in government? I think this postage stamp would have been too big—blank space would have been left when you listed what Labor delivered. Frankly, you would need to go to the frontiers of nanotechnology to find a small enough piece of paper to list Labor's achievements in Hume or nationally on the National Broadband Network. Across Hume, in the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee areas, in The Oaks, in Oakdale, in Bundanoon and in the towns of Picton, Bargo and Tahmoor, all of these areas are receiving fibre to the node or fixed wireless and the effective work of the member for Hume in advocating for the needs of his constituents when it comes to communications is extremely impressive. It is the coalition that understands the rural and regional telecommunications needs of this country; it is the coalition which is delivering. We have now 1.65 million premises able to receive a service. When Labor left office the number was a derisory 348,000, and thanks to the competence being delivered by the NBN, thanks to the work done by the former Minister for Communications, thanks to the work being done by the Abbott and Turnbull governments and thanks to the advocacy of committed regional members like the member for Hume, the Australian people are getting better broadband all around the country. Labor made wild promises—the coalition is delivering.

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