Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

It was interesting to hear from the member for Blaxland who gets a bit touchy on these sorts of subjects when there is nobody in the chamber. I just do not know why he does not ask questions—he certainly did not ask too many questions of Malcolm Turnbull, the member for Wentworth, when he was the communications minister—that is, Malcolm, not Jason; let's hope that does not happen too soon.

He certainly did not ask too many questions about NBN, telecommunications or indeed mobile black spots when he had the opportunity. He still does not ask too many questions when the chamber is full, so I put it to him to ask a few questions about NBN in the chamber during question time. Be big, be brave, be bold and ask a few questions in question time of the Prime Minister, of the communications minister—or the respresentative of the communications minister, appreciating the fact that Senator Mitch Fifield is in the other chamber, the other place.

It is all too easy to come in here when the chamber is mostly empty and make big and loud statements about the NBN and our policy. I have to say that much of what he said is inaccurate at any rate. He talked about a solution in search of a problem.

We know, on this side of the House, that technology and connectivity are at the heart of what we want to encourage as a government. That is important, because it is all about what we are doing as a government. The Turnbull government has an agenda of innovation, agility and productivity and we, on this side, understand the importance of communications infrastructure when it comes to providing just that. In making this plan a reality, we want to encourage more people to live, work and invest in rural and regional communities. We understand that a reliable and affordable communications system is crucial to ensuring our rural and remote regional communities are part of our ideas boom.

As local members move throughout the many towns and communities of our electorates, people often raise with us the issues they face and that they want the federal government to help them with. My large rural electorate of Riverina is roughly the same size as the state of Tasmania. Many of my colleagues are in similar communities, as, indeed, are some of those opposite—the member for Lingiari and the member for Throsby, for instance—and I appreciate that they represent regional communities.

A few issues are raised with me more frequently than others when it comes to communications. Mobile black spots are the bane of many country communities—and, Second Deputy Speaker, member for McEwen, I have heard you raise this in this chamber. They are a significant impediment to safety, to productivity and to connectivity for people who choose to live and do business in the communities we serve. The Nationals get it. We do. We live in these communities too. We understand, as do our constituents, the frustration and the concern when the telephone simply will not connect or when a phone call is scratchy, and the potential that this reality has for instances of natural or medical emergency, and indeed other times when you simply need a phone just for convenience. I am proud to be part of a government which not only acknowledge what a problem this is but are actually doing something to fix it.

Under Labor, not a dollar was spent on mobile black spots. But we are getting on with the job of fixing that problem. Our promise to establish the Mobile Black Spot Program was, for me, a real highlight of the last election. Thanks to the hard work of the member for Cowper, as shadow minister, we were able to say to the people who live with challenging mobile service that we were going to do something about it. It is all about connectivity.

See this speech in context