Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How will keeping public ownership of the National Broadband Network benefit regional Australians, and what are the threats to this?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bendigo for the question. She and I, as proud regional members of this place, know how important the NBN is for our regions. In fact, when we were previously in government we deliberately started the rollout of fibre to the home in the regions. All of the regional areas of Tasmania were to be included. Ballarat was first, and Bendigo was scheduled to be included as well. Regional Australia was benefiting, and it was a game changer and remains a game changer for our regions. New businesses started in our communities. We saw people for the first time being able to access the internet at speeds that allowed them to actually study online. It was a game changer for the regions and it remains so today.

The National Broadband Network is a critical piece of infrastructure and it is absolutely vital to ensuring that communities remain connected, our kids can learn and our businesses in regional Australia can continue to deliver and sell their goods and services to the rest of the world. We know that high-speed broadband is essential to modern life. It allows Australians to work remotely, run their businesses more productively and enjoy leisure with their families. That is why Labor has delivered the NBN, and it is Labor that is committed to ensuring that it remains in public hands—and that is important for the affordability of the NBN, particularly in our regions. If we want to make sure it remains affordable and accessible to all, having it in public hands is the only way to ensure that. Right now, more than 8.6 million homes and businesses are connected to the NBN, including many in our regions. It's a great equaliser, ensuring those living in our regions have the same access to affordable high-speed broadband that those living in our cities often take for granted.

The bill introduced today by the Minister for Communications, the National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024, will make this commitment law. It removes existing legislative conditions which would allow for the privatisation of the NBN, keeping it in public hands. We know, frankly, if the coalition had its way, the NBN would be privatised, putting at risk affordable high-speed broadband for families and businesses in regional Australia. Those opposite have form when it comes to this privatisation. When in government—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The Manager of Opposition Business gets a lot of latitude because of the position he holds, but simply yelling nonstop while the minister's on her feet is unparliamentary and, I'll say again, is disrespectful. To assist the House, and so I and all members can hear the answer, the Manager of Opposition Business will cease the interjections for the remainder of this answer.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Of course, when in government, they rushed to declare that the NBN was complete so that they could flog it off. They supported significant price rises across the NBN products to fatten up income streams in preparation for sale. And I was here when they privatised Telstra. We had Kay Hull here just yesterday. I remember arguing with her in the corridors, asking, 'Why on earth did the National Party vote for the privatisation of Telstra?' We know what that has meant for trying to get services into the regions and what it has meant for affordable pricing of telecommunications. You have form on privatisation. You sold the regions out when it came to Telstra, and you'll do it again.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would just remind the minister to direct her remarks through the chair and not use the term 'you'.