Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As Senator Milne has indicated, the Australian Greens will not be supporting these amendments, for the reasons that the minister has just outlined. But there is a question that I think we need to put to you, Minister. Senator Minchin is correct in that the Communications Fund was earmarked for telecommunications services to rural and regional areas, and no such commitment has been made under Minister Conroy’s request for proposals that is afoot at the moment. For example, Telstra, one of the bidders to the process, have made no commitment to rolling the network in from the fringes, where services are extremely patchy, because they were not required to make any such commitment under the RFP. We do not know which way the other bidders are going. I think it is quite important and I would like to see that addressed. What guarantees can you give that the RFP will not simply lead to $4.7 billion being spent on broadband services in profitable inner city areas while rural and regional areas will continue to be disadvantaged—because there is nothing in the RFP that says that that cannot happen?