Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

You know what would help connect the schools to the NBN particularly in, say, New South Wales? They are not actually building an NBN, but put that aside. What would help connect the schools is the O'Farrell government withdrawing its instruction to the schools in New South Wales not to connect to the NBN. So don't come in here and play a few games. The O'Farrell government has stood in the way of connecting schools in New South Wales to the National Broadband Network. You can sit there and shake your head, but that is the fact. Those schools could be connected, but the O'Farrell government keeps getting in the way, keeps opposing, keeps not facilitating and keeps obstructing. Senator Mason, you should ensure that you are given a full briefing on the behaviour of the New South Wales government. Whether it is connecting fibre on the poles of a New South Wales electricity company or connecting fibre to the schools— (Time expired)