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

I do not intend to speculate on the total cost of the network. What I will say is that the federal government is committed to facilitating the build of a high-speed national broadband network. As part of its election commitment, as you have already heard today, $4.7 billion has been committed by this government to delivering a high-speed national broadband network. Let me be clear: there have been figures kicked around, from $8 billion to $10 billion to $12 billion to $15 billion to $21 billion and, just recently, $25 billion. There is an active debate taking place out there in the telecommunications industry, because there is a robust desire to win the contract. What you are seeing is healthy debate in the industry. I am sure you welcome the regulatory debate that we invited. We said, ‘Put your submissions in on the regulatory framework.’ And you are seeing a very healthy and robust debate. We are seeing a healthy and robust debate about what technology should be employed and about what the total cost should end up being. But let me be clear about this: $4.7 billion is the limit that the government will be committing. So you can point to figures—and it went from $15 billion to $25 billion in less than a week, from the same spokespeople from the same company. So, I anticipate that there is going to be a robust debate. I welcome the fact that there is a robust debate taking place. But I am not going to be drawn into commentary on the individual players in the industry speculating about what the actual final cost will be.