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

I am not taking that interjection—actually do with these services if they were provided. We focused mostly on competition aspects rather than the end-user aspects. In closing, I would like to thank everybody who worked on this committee. It has been really quite an enjoyable piece of work. We have met some of the best minds in the country pursuing telecommunications issues from a corporate side, research, social policy, and from the end-users side. It is a really exciting time in Australia to be working in this field. There is a lot going on. I think we may have disagreed with some of our colleagues at different times on some of the recommendations, but I think we would all agree that the work has been valuable and that we have rested and relied very heavily on the work of our former chair, Senator Fisher, who is just leaving the chamber, and our current chair, Senator Macdonald, who I think has carried the work forward in style. But, as usual, we could not have done it without the brilliant and diligent supporting work of the secretariat and the staff, beginning with Ms Alison Kelly and now Dr Ian Holland. I would like to put, from the Australian Greens perspective, our thanks to all the work that goes on behind the scenes.

This is really a story only half written. We are winding up this committee, and it is with a sense of regret and profound relief that we are winding it up, but really this is a story that is only just beginning because the NBN rollout is still in the balance. It has become highly politicised. There is not consensus within this parliament or, indeed, within the community that it is a good idea. The Australian Greens will be watching this process very closely. We believe it is a proper role of this chamber to investigate these issues and the consequences of such a colossal spend of public funds, and at all times we will be pursuing the public interest.