Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Evans) to questions without notice asked today.

What we have had confirmed today is that the NBN tender process was entirely flawed. In addition to that we have seen that Minister Conroy has misled the Senate. The evidence is on the record—it is on the Hansard. This process went for some 18 months and we know that it was canned as of April last year. We also know that in February last year the minister, Senator Conroy, misled the Senate when he specifically said that the process was going well. He specifically said that the process was successful. He specifically said, ‘I am very confident it will be successful.’ The minister knew in February last year—this is on the public record—that the process was flawed and yet he came into this chamber and said specifically that the process was in fact not flawed but successful and that, indeed, the outcome would be successful. We know exactly what happened some two months later—it was canned.

As a result, $30 million of taxpayers’ money has been wasted. It has gone down a big black hole, down the gurgler in Canberra, so no taxpayers, no Australian people, will benefit from that whatsoever, apart from of course the many consultants and lawyers—and we do not know how many lawyers’ opinions have been obtained in this process.

The process is set out in this Auditor-General’s report—and as a member of the Joint Standing Committee of Public Accounts and Audit I know that the Auditor-General’s reports are held in high regard. The Auditor-General is a man worthy of great respect and, indeed, those in the Auditor-General’s office know what they are doing. They are credible. This report I have in my hand right now is a damning indictment of Senator Conroy. It confirms that he has misled the Senate and it also confirms on the public record that $30 million has gone down the drain.