Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

This is a matter that is important. It is a matter that has vexed the telecommunications carriers. It has also vexed those on the cross benches. It has concerned many people as to ensuring that the NBN Co. is what you say it will be. That is the crux of the amendment we are attempting to get agreement to in this regard. The opposition wants to hold you and your government to account in this, to account against your promises. It is a long, long time since you made your first grand promises on this—since we had fibre to the node, since we had all of that policy development from the government, a modest $4.7 billion project if my memory stands correctly. But ever since you moved to the fibre-to-the-home proposal you have been emphatic about it being a wholesale only network. We just want to make sure it is a wholesale only network. Through this amendment we are attempting to ensure that is the case, attempting to do nothing more than to hold you to your word and ensure that is what is delivered.