Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Well, you tell me where I am wrong. What is it going to be? You are going to do for me what Senator Conroy would never do: tell me what they are going to charge so that we can make an assessment of what the monthly payment will be. That is the problem. That is the issue that I am raising. They are not charging anything at the moment. Your government, Senator, said that the NBN Co. would return a profit and that it would get private equity investors. Why would anyone invest in a company that is giving away its product? It has made an investment of $43 billion and it is not getting any return. They are just giving it away. How could it possibly happen? You tell me. I estimate that people will be paying $200 a month, and you tell me I am wrong. Tell me what they are going to charge and then we can work things out. But I guarantee that it will not be any less than $200 a month, because they have got to get a return on that $43 billion investment. The NBN Co. has to get a return. Imagine what they are going to have to charge to do that. Senator Conroy needs to explain this. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.