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

Yes, Senator Abetz, that was wireless. He continued:

... and allows him to monitor his property and control his machinery from the comfort of his home.

Senator Conroy went on:

However, these possibilities can only be realised if rural and regional communities have access to the infrastructure used to deliver these services.

That is a phenomenal backflip! In the same speech Senator Conroy said:

The most important infrastructure in this regard is the infrastructure that allows the delivery of broadband, optical fibre, DSLAMs and wireless base stations.

That is a quote from a speech of Senator Conroy. I could not have put it better myself. He said that by adopting a mix of technologies the government is providing equitable access to all Australians regardless of where they live.

Why has he had this change of heart, we have to ask ourselves, don’t we? It may have been that a focus group report had come in, and that was why it came time for him to jump out of bed yesterday morning. Senator Conroy had been told it was time to do a backflip. He now believes that a one-size-fits-all approach to 72 per cent of the population is sufficient, which is what his plan has. Like many other Australians, I disagree with him. The government has a detailed, costed and deliverable policy of delivering broadband to all Australians.