Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's department said about the NBN connection to his Point Piper mansion that 'the Prime Minister asked us to make sure it was connected to Point Piper, but our office just had to make sure that everything proceeded smoothly'. Can the Prime Minister confirm his department had one discussion with NBN Co, and it took just one appointment to get his NBN connection? How was the Prime Minister able to get a speed and service from the NBN that the rest of Australia can only dream of?

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

I thank the honourable member for her interest in the NBN connections in my electorate.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

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

The rollout of the NBN over the hybrid fibre-coaxial network, which is built on coaxial cables made of copper, is the technology and apparently the premium service that I and 411,000 other customers are receiving. This is the one the Labor Party said was second-rate and outdated and should be junked. That's what they said. They can't have it both ways. For more information on the NBN I'll ask the honourable Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities to address the House.

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

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

I remind the member for McEwen he's already been warned. The minister has the call.

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

I thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity to explore in more detail the question of what Labor's views about the NBN really are, and, in particular, what they think about the HFC. It seems that Labor has a split personality on the issue of the HFC.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton is warned.

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

The Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying that Mr Turnbull says Australian families do not need a first-grade NBN but is happy to use one for his own suburb. In other words, he's saying that the Prime Minister is getting first-rate NBN over the HFC. It is certainly true that the HFC offers a first-rate broadband service.

Now, what does the member for Greenway say on the same topic? Her Facebook page, on 11 February, says: 'Second-rate HFC'. Labor cannot even decide what their views about the HFC are. It's first-rate, according to the Leader of the Opposition, or it's second-rate, according to the member for Greenway. What was Labor's policy on the HFC for the 2016 election? 'Under Labor the rollout of HFC will continue.' Isn't that interesting? Labor plans to do exactly the same thing with HFC as the coalition does.

We know that the member for Greenway has form on this. Remember that she was the one who claimed that an Akamai survey about broadband in Kenya was in some way relevant to be compared to Australia. There are 200,000 people in Kenya who have a broadband service. There was another great contribution from that member when she quoted an Ipsos survey which she said found Australia ranks lowest for broadband satisfaction. In that same Ipsos survey 19 per cent of Australians rated the current quality of nuclear infrastructure to generate energy in Australia as very or fairly good. That's the kind of reputable survey that this member is quoting. They'll say anything on the NBN; we're delivering it.