Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

They love privatisation; they tried to privatise the work that was being done in Centrelink. They tried to privatise Western Power, in my great state of Western Australia. Deputy Speaker, I note that my power bills and your power bills—my constituents and your constituents have cheaper power bills because that privatisation of Western Power did not go ahead.

Again, I think there are real benefits in keeping the National Broadband Network in public hands where it belongs. It is absolutely essential infrastructure. I don't want to see it sold off to some overseas conglomerate. I don't want to see it sold off into the private market where they care more about profit than making sure that every Australian gets the quality service of broadband, which is now essential for people's learning, essential for their work, essential for their social connection and, more and more often now, essential for their safety as well. We know that many medical devices can now be very effectively enhanced by access to fast broadband, giving people more insights into their health and their health needs.

When it comes to keeping the National Broadband Network in public hands, I think most Australians will say, 'Yes, that's right.' We saw the sell-off of Telstra and how that held Australia back when it came to making sure that we had the technologies of the future. We took the brave decision, and I want to commend what the member for Kennedy said—that former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be remembered as a visionary for backing this technology and for backing this initiative, to make sure that Australians do have access to ultrafast broadband. We're cleaning up a decade of confusion, delay and copper wires strung across the country. We're putting the fibre in, we're getting it done and we're keeping it in public hands.

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