Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This government have stuffed up on a number of things, but the one thing that they have royally and truly stuffed up is the rollout of the NBN. In my electorate, it is just stark. Let us just remember what this government said before the last election. Malcolm Turnbull, when he was the opposition spokesperson for communications, came to Bendigo and promised the people of Bendigo 'faster, sooner and more affordable' broadband. He promised it would happen by 2016, but here we are in 2016 and not one extra house has been connected—because of this government. Every single house that has been connected to the fast-speed NBN is because of decisions that the Labor government made.

This government is so hopeless when it comes to the rollout of the NBN that fixed wireless towers, built when Labor was in government before the last election, have not even been switched on. How incompetent are you that you cannot even switch a tower on? Five towers to the north of the electorate have not been switched on. So, for the people of Bendigo, I have one question to ask the Prime Minister: can you at least do one thing on the NBN before the next election and switch on the towers to the north of the electorate, so at least a few people in my electorate will get what you promised would happen in 2016—'faster, more affordable and sooner' broadband. (Time expired)

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