Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister informed the Leader of the National Party that on his list of the top 40 priority government-held seats to be targeted with his broadband policy, only four National Party seats make the cut? Why is the Prime Minister proposing a second-rate broadband solution for people in rural and regional Australia? Why has the government failed to stand up for the interests of regional Australia in the policy it has put forward on broadband today?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answering that question I might observe that, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, at least the member for Calare asked a question on behalf of his constituents.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler has been warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the National Party was a major participant in the government’s decisions in relation to these matters, and I can assure you that the constituents represented by the Leader of the National Party and all of his colleagues, as well as the rural and regional constituents represented by the Liberal Party, are well pleased with the decision that has been taken.

We have now had about six questions—not on the substance, not on the technology. It is all about this pathetic argument of the Leader of the Opposition that there is something wrong with the fact that the majority of country people in this nation are represented in this parliament by the National Party and by the Liberal Party. Let me say to the Leader of the Opposition that the reason for that is that those parties represent the interests of country people more vigorously and more effectively than does the Australian Labor Party. We have demonstrated that by the fact that we have set aside a $2 billion telecommunications fund for the bush. That is a dedicated fund. It is a fund that, under our policies, will be kept for the bush, effectively in perpetuity. The Labor Party proposes to rob the bush of that money and use it to fund a large company to roll out a fibre network essentially in the built-up areas of Australia. If the people of rural Australia want to know who is on their side, let me tell them that the Leader of the Opposition wants to take their $2 billion and use it to pay a large company to roll out essentially a fibre network for the built-up areas of Australia when they should be rolling out that network out of their own pockets and not out of the pockets of people who live in the rural parts of Australia.

I would never presume to speak for my friend and colleague the Leader of the National Party, but I think he would be one with me in saying that the interests of rural people are being well and truly served in the announcement both of us were very proud to make this morning in Goulburn.