Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Carr. We are stuck on the goat track because the Prime Minister and Treasurer bounced Senator Fiona Nash out of their office. To be fair to Senator Nash, she has been a supporter of a high-speed national broadband fibre network. She produced the Page Foundation’s report which recommended a fibre optics network around the country at a cost of around $7 billion, from recollection. What happened? The Prime Minister and the Treasurer said, ‘The door’s over there.’ The country has suffered because Senator Nash did not have the capacity to convince the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and Senator Minchin of the benefits. The truth is that it is almost an age gap thing. Senator Nash gets it. Senator Nash gets why this country needs a national fibre network. Unfortunately, she was dealing with the Prime Minister, who does not get it. Senator Nash gets it; I am sure that Senator Birmingham gets it. I know that you cannot say anything, Senator Birmingham, as you have not spoken yet, but I am sure that Senator Birmingham gets it.