Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

My understanding from reading about this in the media, as I am sure the honourable member has done also, is that there was an employment issue between a journalist at the ABC and a manager in which the employee had tape recorded a discussion with his manager. His contentions were rejected by the ABC management. The answer I gave a moment ago was not directed to any particular story of the journalist concerned. I do not recall the article that was apparently the subject of the taped discussion. I simply made the point that, in respect of the ABC's coverage of the NBN issue—and this was essentially in the lead-up to the last election, so this predates my being a minister—my view was, and I am entitled to have that view, as we are all entitled to have a view about news reporting, that they could have done a more comprehensive job and taken a more balanced approach in which they made a better effort of explaining the arguments about the competing technologies. That was, if you like, the factual context in the NBN broadband debate at the time: is fibre-to-the-node worthwhile; does it deliver adequate speeds; is fibre-to-the-premises the only way to go? In many respects, the debate has been resolved. The evidence is in. The multitechnology mix that the government is taking has been proven to be correct.

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