Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

To my knowledge, you can correct me if I am wrong, the cost of the network is approximately $36 billion. The entity is borrowing $27 billion and will need to borrow a further $10 billion to roll out the network. That will be picked up by the taxpayer if it falls over. It will have disastrous effects on the Australian economy if that happens. You are building it as fibre to the home because you got sucked in. You are rolling it out in the cities and not in the country because you live in the seven per cent of the country and you have lost interest in the rest—it is purely hypothetical until we have to pick up the tab. The tab is coming; it is going to be massive and it is going to be a complete and utter disaster.

Question put:

That the amendment (Senator Birmingham’s) be agreed to.