Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

Let me point out the internal contradiction in what Senator O'Neill said. She expresses a concern about mobile competition. If $30 billion more had been spent, as was the plan of those opposite, that would mean that NBN would have to charge higher prices to retailers, which would mean that consumers would be paying $500 a year more on average. Let me let you in on a little secret: if the NBN charged more to retailers, and customers therefore paid more, there would be higher substitution of mobile for the NBN. Labor's business model—their approach, their expenditure—would have led to a much higher substitution of mobile for the NBN. If we're talking about economics adding up, under this side they do; under the approach of the others, no way.