Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities) Share this | Hansard source

I make the point to the House that policy in this area needs to determine the appropriate mix of HFC, fibre to the premises, fibre to the node and fibre to the kerb. That is what the Turnbull government has been focused on so that we can roll this out for $30 billion less and more quickly—getting the whole network delivered by 2020. What we also know about a number of instances that have been raised by Labor in the past is that, on investigation, the facts have turned out not to have been as claimed. But, of course, we will go back and have a look at this claim and we will respond. But I do make the point that we are delivering a network more quickly than Labor could have delivered it and for $30 billion less, with some 7.4 million premises now in ready-for-service areas. When Labor left government barely 50,000 premises were connected to the fixed network. We now have 7.4 million able to connect.

We have no idea what Labor's policy will be at the next election. The question the Australian people are entitled to ask is: what is Labor going to do? At the last election they claimed that they were going to roll out two million more fibre premises and cost not one dollar more. That is magic pudding economics. That is a completely implausible and utterly incredible claim. There is no doubt that the member for Blaxland is deeply relieved not to be the shadow minister anymore so he doesn't have to defend that particular ridiculous policy.

The member for Moreton left the chamber.

See this speech in context