Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

over satellite, wireless or ADSL. The second stage of Broadband Connect will take effect from 1 July 2006. I am happy to say there has been an overwhelming response to a public discussion paper released on government broadband funding. These submissions provide a very sound basis from which to develop guidelines for the next stage of Broadband Connect. A significant increase in the funding which we were able to secure as part of the Telstra vote provides an incredible opportunity, I believe, to deliver advanced and sustainable broadband solutions into regional Australia. I have to say that there are some very impressive and innovative ideas coming forward.

Senator Conroy was as usual trying to talk down these great achievements of the government. I notice that in the last offering from Senator Conroy he thought that the ALP should put some thought into broadband and then he fell straight into the trap of picking a technology. But we know that a mix of technologies provides a range of solutions, and that is what we will deliver. The government will continue to stand up for rural and regional Australia and continue to deliver improved communications.