Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question and for her ongoing interest in the NBN. As it happens, I am aware of an independent analysis of Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott's broadband plan. Just recently, the global banking giant Citigroup released its analysis of the coalition policy, a policy that those in the chamber might be interested to learn was described as 'quick and dirty'. This analysis demonstrates what we in the Gillard government have known for some time—that is, this opposition is the most economically ignorant we have seen for a considerable time. The Citigroup report makes it obvious that Mr Turnbull and the opposition have not costed their broadband plan. They have not costed the construction of their substandard, mixed technology solution which Citigroup estimates at—wait for it—$16.7 billion on budget. They have not costed their promise to structurally separate Telstra, which Catherine Livingstone, the chair of Telstra, recently priced at $11 billion. Mr Turnbull claims that he knows best. He knows best that Telstra is worth more separated than together. Do not worry about the 99.45 per cent of Telstra shareholders who voted for the NBN deal, Mr Turnbull knows best. He knows better than the board; he knows better than the shareholders. Seriously, Mr Turnbull must think he is giving advice to Rodney Adler and Ray Williams over the value of FAI again. He knows best. (Time expired)