Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Urban Infrastructure representing the Minister for Communications. Minister, regional, rural and remote Australia faces a number of challenges, including poor mobile telephone reception in many parts. Can the minister inform the House what the government is doing to improve communications in regional, rural and remote Australia, especially in my electorate of Durack?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Durack, who is a terrific advocate for the needs of her community and the needs of rural and regional Australia. I very much remember the very productive visit I made with the member to Geraldton in April 2014, where we understood the requirements for improved mobile coverage and improved broadband coverage. Not only did we understand those requirements; the Turnbull government is delivering on meeting those requirements.

The Mobile Black Spots Program has now seen some $220 million of Commonwealth government money committed to delivering new mobile base stations all around Australia. Round 1 saw 499 base stations. $100 million of Commonwealth funding secured $385 million in total funding. Round 2: 266 mobile base stations. What have we seen in Durack? In Durack there have been 42 new base stations committed. Ten of those are already live.

Let's compare that to what Labor's policy would have delivered. The coalition policy is delivering 499 base stations around Australia under round 1. Labor's policy: zero! The coalition's policy is delivering mobile phone base stations across Western Australia. Labor's policy for Western Australia would have delivered zero. What about all around Australia? The coalition's policy is delivering hundreds of base stations all around Australia. Labor's policy would have delivered zero.

Those three numbers—zero, zero, zero; triple 0—is a very well-known number in telecommunications. It took the Labor Party to turn it into a description of their policy for mobile communication. What have we got from the shadow minister for regional communications? He issued this laughable media release last year which says, 'Labor's policy on mobile black spots is to …' Their policy is to do nothing. What does the shadow minister for regional communications actually spend his days doing? At eight o'clock he opens the window, says, 'No—we have no money for you,' then closes the window. He is done. That is what Labor does on regional communications.

On this side of the parliament we are delivering for the people of rural, regional and remote Australia. Over 700 base stations are being delivered under the Mobile Black Spots Program. The NBN is being rolled out. More than 4.1 million Australian households are now in a position to receive the NBN. The Turnbull government is delivering for regional and remote communications, including in Durack. We are delivering. This lot delivered nothing.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I asked that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.