Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over the past six months in this place, I have spoken several times about the NBN rollout in my electorate and particularly in the suburb of Thornlie—or at least the lack of NBN rollout, because up until a month ago Thornlie was not even on the NBN rollout map. So I was pleasantly surprised to see on the NBN Co website this January that my lobbying had finally paid off. Thornlie is finally on the NBN rollout map. While I am glad that the Turnbull government has finally realised that Thornlie exists, we are once again seeing the Liberals put Perth's south-east last. The earliest that Thornlie will receive the NBN is June 2019, almost three full years after Malcolm Turnbull's promised deadline for when every household in Australia would be connected.

Earlier this month, I hosted a forum with my colleague the state Labor member for Gosnells, Chris Tallentire, to hear from constituents about their internet issues. I can tell you this: Thornlie residents are angry. We have some of the poorest internet speeds in the country in Thornlie, and some homes cannot even get access to ADSL. Indeed, some of these homes are even in 4G black spots, so they cannot even get wireless broadband. Yet this Liberal government's mismanagement of the NBN will force residents and businesses to wait another 2½ years for access to decent broadband, and even then they will still be only connected to a copper 'fraudband'.

I will keep on fighting for a faster NBN rollout in Burt, and I am glad to see that WA Labor is joining the fight, committing—unlike the WA Liberals—to standing up for a better deal from Canberra for WA.

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