Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the minister for Communications. With NBN optic fibre starting to roll out in my home town of Goulburn, in the north of my electorate in The Oaks and Oakdale, in Bundanoon, the Southern Highlands and right around to Picton, Bargo and Tahmoor in coming weeks, can the minister outline how the NBN will bring fast, reliable internet to all homes and businesses in my electorate of Hume?

Mr Husic interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chifley is warned.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hume for his question. He is an extremely effective advocate on the issue of telecommunications, and doesn't he have a lot to demonstrate to his constituents that he has delivered. I have had the opportunity to visit him in Boorowa and in Dalton on two separate occasions, and what he has been able to deliver for his constituents in Hume is extremely impressive. In Goulburn, for example, the biggest centre, some 10,000 premises are to be connected to the fibre to the node network.

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith has been warned.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under the three-year rollout plan, 42,000 premises in Hume will get fibre to the node or fixed wireless. So good is the story that the member for Hume has to tell that he has put out this excellent A3 notice informing his constituents of all of the benefits which are available in Hume–A3, Prime Minister!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will not use props.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How big a piece of paper would have been needed to announce what Labor delivered on the NBN in its time in government? I think this postage stamp would have been too big—blank space would have been left when you listed what Labor delivered. Frankly, you would need to go to the frontiers of nanotechnology to find a small enough piece of paper to list Labor's achievements in Hume or nationally on the National Broadband Network. Across Hume, in the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee areas, in The Oaks, in Oakdale, in Bundanoon and in the towns of Picton, Bargo and Tahmoor, all of these areas are receiving fibre to the node or fixed wireless and the effective work of the member for Hume in advocating for the needs of his constituents when it comes to communications is extremely impressive. It is the coalition that understands the rural and regional telecommunications needs of this country; it is the coalition which is delivering. We have now 1.65 million premises able to receive a service. When Labor left office the number was a derisory 348,000, and thanks to the competence being delivered by the NBN, thanks to the work done by the former Minister for Communications, thanks to the work being done by the Abbott and Turnbull governments and thanks to the advocacy of committed regional members like the member for Hume, the Australian people are getting better broadband all around the country. Labor made wild promises—the coalition is delivering.