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

Not that Senator Joyce needs my assistance at all in this regard, but I would just make the point to the minister that this amendment, like many of the amendments we have discussed, goes to whether the scope of NBN Co. is being expanded in any way—whether indeed you are leaving the door ajar, or wide open, potentially, for NBN Co. to be able to expand its activities. Of course, we all know what expanding its activities is about. That of course will be about making the dodgy finances of NBN Co. stack up better in the long run and giving the government some mild chance of not confronting the type of circumstances that Senator Joyce is asking you about—and they are reasonable circumstances to ask about. This bill is the fundamental piece of legislation that this parliament is going to debate about NBN Co., about how it is going to work, how it is going to operate, and—to the points that Senator Joyce makes—how it is going to be funded and paid for.