Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024 is a really important bill, which reaffirms this government's commitment to the public ownership of what is one of Australia's most critical infrastructure assets, the NBN. I just don't know where to begin with some of what I've heard from those opposite while I've been sitting here waiting to speak.

The member for Flinders has just said that there's something wrong with the Prime Minister saying that, in this day and age, every Australian child should have a place to study with access to the NBN. I think that is an excellent thing for us to aspire to. But what we've heard from those opposite is that they just don't get vision. They don't get nation-building. They don't want people to have things that they don't pay for, if they can't afford them. That's what this is really about—the idea that every Australian would have had access to fibre-to-the-premises broadband as was originally proposed by the absolutely visionary plan under the Rudd government that was the NBN, and that those opposite absolutely trashed in 10 years in government, among other things that they've trashed—because they just don't get it.

They're not vision people. They don't want to see Australia leading the world.

Part of the point of the NBN when it was initially proposed was the ubiquitous nature of fast broadband and that the fact that it was to be ubiquitous—that everyone was to have access to it, that everyone would have this very fast broadband—would revolutionise the way we delivered services and provided access to things like education and health care for people in regional and remote areas, the people that those opposite always claim to be representing. But, anyway, here we are.

This bill is an important bill that makes clear that keeping the NBN preserved in public ownership is an explicit requirement. It removes the current conditions for terminating government ownership by repealing most of part 3 of the NBN act, because Labor is the party of the NBN.

As I said, the NBN was a visionary idea under the Rudd government. It was established and began to be rolled out with the goal of a fully connected Australia. The original vision for a fibre-to-the-premises connected Australia was trashed by those opposite when they came to government, and it has been left to the Albanese Labor government to clean up their mess—as it has been with so many policy areas. But make no mistake: those opposite would jump at the first opportunity to sell this important asset if given the chance.

The speeches that I've heard in the short time I've been here make it very clear that they don't understand the NBN and would take the first opportunity to trash it. Just like they did with Telstra, just like they did with Medibank and just like they did with the Australian Public Service, the coalition are addicted to privatisation and outsourcing, with the Australian public always paying the price. What we're doing today is ensuring the NBN's future. Commitment to public ownership is vital for the NBN to deliver the services Australians rightly expect.

Let's look back at the history of the NBN under those opposite. The Liberal Party's handling of the NBN stands as a stark reminder of how critical it is to approach significant national infrastructure with vision and with commitment to the public interest—vision and commitment to the public interest. I know that's difficult for those opposite.

Under the negligence of the coalition, the initial vision for a world-class fibre based NBN was undermined. Instead, they opted for a multitechnology mix that left Australia lagging behind our global peers in both speed and reliability. This was an approach that resulted in increased costs, blown-out timeframes and outcomes that fell well short of what Australians were promised and what we deserved. Despite claiming that their strategy would save money and accelerate the rollout, the reality was an NBN fraught with issues—delays, unexpected costs and widespread dissatisfaction among users.

The Liberal Party's poor decision-making left the network underresourced and underperforming, impacting businesses and households alike. What should have been an enabler for economic growth and digital participation became a source of frustration for millions of Australians. Their governance also demonstrated a willingness to prioritise privatisation over public benefit. This is what they always do.

In 2020 they declared the network built and fully operational, a move that set the stage for its eventual sale. They even supported NBN Co's push to raise wholesale prices by CPI plus three per cent, a policy that would have hit Australians hard, undermining affordability in favour of profit-driven motives. It took the intervention of Labor and the ACCC to protect consumers from these proposed price hikes.

The coalition's legacy is marked by missed opportunities and the weakening of what could have been an unparalleled national asset. That is what's so sad about this: the inability of the coalition to embrace a vision for Australia to lead the world, which is what we were trying to do with the NBN, and for all Australians to share in that—for everyone to have a chance to have the fastest possible broadband that would revolutionise the way we did things. Instead they prioritised short-term gains and ideological commitments over long-term strategic investment, and the Liberal Party left Australia playing catch-up on connectivity and digital capability. Our government is committed to reversing this legacy and ensuring that such missteps are not repeated.

We stand by the principle that the NBN must remain in public hands, fostering upgrades, innovation and affordability for all. It's not just about restoring what was compromised; it's about moving towards a vision for a more connected, just and secure future for Australia. This stance is driven by the need for continuous upgrades to the network, regulatory oversight of wholesale pricing and, most importantly, the delivery of affordable broadband for all Australians.

We're delivering on the NBN's promise of equity and access to the digital economy. In 2022 the Albanese Labor government underscored this commitment through the updated statement of expectations for NBN Co. Our directive was clear: public ownership is the cornerstone that will enable us to extend more fibre throughout the fixed-line network, lay the groundwork for a transition into next-generation satellite technology and modernise our universal service obligations. These steps are essential for a more connected and inclusive Australia—one that leaves no community behind, whether they be in the heart of our cities of the vast expanses of our rural and regional areas.

Improvements to the network are ongoing. Just last week I was pleased to hear that further upgrades will begin shortly in my electorate of Canberra—and this is something Canberrans have speaking to me about. When we were in opposition last term, people were disgusted with the access they had to the NBN and how far it fell short of what was promised. I'm proud that we are fixing that, including here in my electorate.

The fibre upgrade program has been bolstered by the government's $2.4 billion commitment over four years to provide an additional 1.5 million fibre-to-the-node premises with access to full fibre. As a result, 90 per cent of premises in the NBN fixed-line footprint can place an order for gigabit capable services by the end of next year. In our recent announcement, 37 ACT suburbs have been announced for inclusion in the fibre upgrade program. These include Ainslie, Braddon, Bruce, Cook, Dickson, Garran, Griffith, Hawker, Kaleen, Lyneham, Macquarie, Narrabundah, Reid, Turner and Yarralumla here in my electorate of Canberra.

Providing faster speeds for Canberrans is part of the publicly owned National Broadband Network. I think a lot of people in this place don't understand that Canberra is a real community with real needs as well. I know a lot of those opposite love to trash Canberra because public servants live here, and they hate them too. But it's really good that we are getting improved access to the NBN because we don't have it either, because what those opposite, in government, did to the NBN—10 years of neglect and trying to destroy it—affected us here in the nation's capital as well. I am pleased that we are addressing that and that those suburbs are getting what they should have got a long time ago thanks to the Albanese Labor government. The NBN is a Labor legacy worth protecting.

It is crucial to remember that the NBN isn't just an infrastructure project; it's a strategic asset intertwined with our national security and cybersecurity needs. Ongoing government ownership ensures the NBN's operations align with national interests, protecting Australia from the significant risks foreign ownership could pose. To sell off the NBN would be to jeopardise this oversight and expose Australia to serious sovereignty and security concerns. In this bill before the House, we reaffirm that the NBN is not just a commodity to be sold; it's a vital public service that underpins our economy, social fabric and national security.

The reaction to this bill by those opposite is very telling. It demonstrates yet again their ideological obsession with privatisation. I remind the House again, because it bears repeating, that the former coalition government, under the member for Bradfield, initiated measures in 2020 to prepare the NBN for sale, declaring it 'built and fully operational'. Having been here for the member for Bradfield's contribution to this debate, just a few speakers before, it is obvious that these are people that would destroy the NBN if they ever got back into government. They have a complete disdain for it because, as I said, it was a visionary nation-building project and was about universal access for all Australians—and these are things that don't sit comfortably with their ideology.

Their readiness for privatisation included supporting a proposal from NBN Co to raise wholesale prices by CPI plus three per cent, a move aimed at boosting revenue streams before a sale. This would have had significant repercussions for consumers, especially in terms of affordability. Labor, alongside the ACCC, firmly rejected this proposal in order to safeguard Australians from unnecessary price hikes. That would have been a disaster. We need only look at history to see the consequence of privatising public telecommunications infrastructure. The Howard government's sale of Telstra service is a cautionary tale. Promises were made about maintaining service quality at affordable prices, but those promises were never met. On top of that, the sale left the government without the leverage to spearhead the rollout of fibre broadband, necessitating the Rudd government's launch of the NBN project.

This bill did not appear out of thin air. Our ongoing consultations with communities across rural and regional Australia have sent a clear and consistent message. People want the NBN to remain under government ownership. They recognise that only with public oversight can the network continue to deliver modern, accessible and affordable communications services. Keeping the NBN in public hands is not just a strategic decision; it is a commitment to prosperity and connectivity for every Australian. It is about ensuring that the digital divide narrows and that no-one is left in the dark, disconnected from the opportunities that the modern world offers. Yes, to the member for Flinders, we do believe that in an updated version of Gough Whitlam's vision every child should have a place to study with a lamp on. We do believe that every Australian student should have the NBN—they should have access to reliable, fast broadband—because, if they don't have it, how will they ever keep up with their peers? How will they ever have the same opportunities if they don't have access to these things? And how will we ever deliver those things if we don't keep it in public hands, if it's not about building our nation or about a strategic asset to benefit all Australians that we regularly update and improve?

The Albanese Labor government will always stand firm when it comes to public ownership of the NBN. We will continue to safeguard the NBN from those who would seek to sell it off. The NBN is an essential tool for Australia's economic resilience, social equity and national security. Labor will not repeat the liberal mistakes of the past when it comes to privatisation. Instead, we will build on the promise of a connected, secure and inclusive future for all, because that is what Labor governments to. When we come into government, we bring vision. We bring the hopes of Australians, who rely on governments to ensure that they have the best chance, that every Australian has a chance at a happy, healthy, fulfilled life. Public education, universal health care, decent wages—these are things that you can thank Labor governments for. While we're talking about Gough Whitlam, I just came from a forum where we celebrated 50 years since Gough Whitlam protected the Great Barrier Reef. But those opposite say he left Australia an economic basket case. Well, where would we be without the vision of Labor governments? A place I don't want to see.

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