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

I thank Senator Macdonald for his question. I note that, despite the resignation of three fellow frontbenchers when they crossed the floor, you were not among them. We will see what develops in the afternoon, Senator Macdonald. The answer is yes, I am familiar with Mr Murdoch’s comments, but the Rudd Labor government believes that all Australians, including large and small businesses, no matter where they live or are located, deserve to have access to high-speed broadband. I note the recent comments by a whole range of commentators, including Mr Murdoch, about the demands, commercial viability and the importance of wireless technology into the future. What I want to reinforce is that the discussions, firstly with Telstra, continue to be constructive. We are working to deliver on the National Broadband Network, notwithstanding those opposite who have sought to frustrate and block and have locked themselves into a 1990s or 2000 position.

I remember one of the great, proud chants from those opposite when they were in government was that during that period of incredible microeconomic reform by the Hawke and Keating governments they said, ‘We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Hawke and Keating governments in voting for all of those tough economic reforms.’ The tragedy now is that you are not going to be able to say that some day in the distant future when you are in government, because you have sought to block the reform package that we have put forward in this sector. You will not be able to make that proud claim that you have made in the past because you have become Luddites; you have spurned your economic reformist credentials. (Time expired)