Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

SCRYMGOUR () (): My question is to the Minister for Communications. What has been the community's response to the government's commitment to keep the National Broadband Network in public ownership? Why is the government committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-speed broadband for Australians, and what are the alternative positions that have been proposed?

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

I thank the member for her question. I know she is pleased that more than 10,000 homes and businesses in Alice Springs can now order a full fibre upgrade on the NBN thanks to strong investment under the Albanese government.

Labor founded the National Broadband Network to provide fast, reliable and affordable broadband to all Australians, irrespective of where they live. Only by keeping the NBN in public ownership can that vision continue to be delivered. It's not just the government that supports this policy; the regions support it. Mayor Ken Anderson from Flinders Ranges Council said:

I support the Australian government in keeping the … (NBN) in public ownership. I think it is more than fair to say that privatisation of essential services does no favours for regional South Australia.

Consumers support it. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said:

Retaining public ownership of this critical public asset will provide the opportunity for continued improvement in the communications services Australians need now and into the future.

The workers support it. Shane Murphy, the CWU National President said:

NBN workers and their families will also breathe a sigh of relief knowing their jobs won't be on the chopping block because of privatisation.

The industry supports it. Optus interim CEO Michael Venter said: 'Optus welcomes the federal government's legislation to keep the NBN in public hands. Keeping this critical asset under government ownership is likely to be the best approach for Australian consumers and will also provide a welcome level of ongoing certainty to the sector.'

The Albanese government's position on the NBN is crystal clear: it is not for sale. In 2021, we made an election commitment to retain the NBN in public ownership, to keep broadband affordable and to complete building a world-class fibre network. In 2022, we formalised this commitment in a new statement of expectations for the NBN. Yesterday, we introduced legislation to enshrine this position in law. The opposition has had three years to give their position on the NBN and to answer a simple question: will you preserve the NBN in public ownership or will you flog it off? Yesterday, they finally revealed their hand when a Liberal MP confirmed that privatisation was always part of their plan. When asked whether the NBN should be privatised, the answer was, 'It has always been in the contemplation that it would be privatised.' Australians have a clear choice to keep the NBN in public ownership or, under those opposite, have it flogged off. (Time expired)