Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The NBN discussion continues and there is no shortage of discussion and debate around this topic. Sometimes it is bit hard over here to get a gig because we usually have so many senators who want to talk on the topic—especially those from Tasmania. Today it is my turn.

All the discussion seems to be about the business plan, and that has been going for days. It does interest me that the government has openly told everyone it has received this business plan and it has given the date and committed publicly to releasing it. The debate in this place seems to be when. Mention of its release was done very publicly, which is in stark contrast to other governments, it having been open with people in this place and the wider community in talking about the production of documents. The Prime Minister has said the business plan will be released next month. We have heard the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy say numerous times that it will be released. People in the other place have said the same thing. But the debate continues to be around clandestine comments of obfuscation. I love using the word ‘obfuscation’ and I love spelling it. I am so pleased that senators have used it—because there is none. The government has been clear on the process and it has released documents throughout. The original report on what was happening with the NBN was publicly given early, on 6 May 2010, to everyone who wanted to read it, to look at the issues and to be involved in the discussion. Realistically, the only way that this program will be successful is if people are engaged in the process. The government has said that from the start.

I repeat, as has everyone else on this side of the chamber, that the business plan will be released. There are concerns about things that are commercial-in-confidence—and how many times do we hear that? I do not want to get into the all too common debate in this place about what happened when we were in opposition and the other side was in government, because we can go back to Federation on that debate. There has always been a debate about when documents can be released, what can be released and to whom. This is part of the ongoing debate. In this case, the NBN business plan will be released. It will be released next month and then this discussion will continue. That is what occurs and that is where we are going.

I clearly remember a previous debate we had in this place about Telstra and telecommunications issues. Mr Deputy President, you were on this side and I was on the other side and we were following each other in the speaking list. I found it interesting because we were enjoying the general contribution. I am pretty sure Senator Boswell was in the chamber at the same time. I said in that debate that what goes on in this place is incredibly important. That is the role of government. The real test, though, the real understanding of what happens in telecommunications in this country, is what happens in the community. People will be watching what happens in the community. So far, we have seen in the initial rollout of the NBN—in places in South Australia, as Senator McEwen has spoken of, and in Tasmania, as a number of Tasmanian senators have spoken of—that people are waiting for this program. They need to be encouraged. They need to know about it. I think in some cases they are confounded by the fact that it is free, and that in some sense has been a bit of trouble with the marketing process, because people cannot believe that they are getting access to the service which they have asked for over many years. There would not be a senator in this place who has not had constituents talking with them at times about the need for access to better telecommunications and access to broadband.

They finally have access to it, and I am really pleased to say that, in the Mundingburra-Aitkenvale area of Townsville in North Queensland in my state, it has had success in that people want to be involved in the program. Over 50 per cent of people have already said they want to be involved, and that will grow, as does any program. I have heard other senators talk about slow uptake, but with any government program it takes time for people to think about it and to actually sign up. But, when they do, they do in large numbers. I am really pleased that my home town of Toowoomba is in the next rollout. They are already talking about it on the Darling Downs, because they have had real problems with technology and access to broadband in the Darling Downs. Toowoomba is going to be a hub of this program and they are waiting for it, as are parts of the Brisbane area. I am pleased to talk on it and I hope this program will continue.