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

The NBN right now is doing more than that every 10 days. That's the difference. Getting on with the job and building it.

When they announced that they were going to establish a government company to build a national broadband network, the Labor Party said that it would be the most fantastic commercial opportunity. Kevin Rudd said that mums and dads would be lining up to invest. But he said—he was stern about this, Mr Speaker—that even though it was going to be the best investment ever, the government would hold 51 per cent. He was going to hold back all of that wall of investment enthusiasm, to limit it to 49 per cent. What a train wreck it was: tens of billions of dollars wasted by the Labor Party, leaving us with the biggest corporate train wreck ever undertaken by a federal government. Now, what we've done is we've got on with the job. We've got on with the job. We're playing the hand of cards we were dealt by Labor and we're building it. We're building it for $30 billion less than it would have been under Labor and in six to eight years less time.

You know, I've heard the shadow minister talk about regional Australia. I'm sure when she gets there she'll find it very interesting. Let me tell you: under our construction program of the NBN, regional Australia is getting finished sooner.

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Ms Keay interjecting—

The satellite is up and the fixed wireless component will be completed next year. The reality is we're getting on with the job. Over three million premises are connected. As for the digital divide that the honourable member spoke about, he will be interested to know that whether people are connected by fibre to the premises, fibre to the node, hybrid fibre coaxial or by fixed wireless, the vast majority are ordering speeds of 25 megabits per second or less.

Dr Aly interjecting—

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Ms Keay interjecting—

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