Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's predecessor and I will use her name, Kay Hull. I hope that pleases you, having taken up the time of the House—not me, yourself, Sir. She crossed the floor because she said the Australian people own Telstra, not this government. They do not own it; the Australian people own it. If you want to sell Telstra then the Australian people should have a say; they're the shareholders. It is their taxpayers' money that provided that service and built that service for the Australian people. She was dead right. It would just be wonderful if a few other people in this place had the courage of their convictions to do what she did on that occasion and acknowledge that you have sold off every single asset. You have sold off the Commonwealth Bank. You have sold off Qantas. You have sold off the railways. I can't think of anything that hasn't been sold.

There are three exceptions and it's very important they go on the record. The NBN—all of you may be forgotten but Kevin Rudd will never be forgotten because Kevin Rudd delivered to the Australian people one of only three assets they now own. The NBN is a priceless asset. So he will go down in the history books and the rest of us, I submit, will not. When you talk about Chifley, you will recall the Holden motor car, you will recall the Snowy Mountains and you will recall—I am not going to go through everything; you can read my book, Mr Deputy Speaker.

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