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

NBN's boost to female entrepreneurship is one of the most interesting revelations of the AlphaBeta research. It found that more women are choosing to become their own bosses in NBN connected regions, creating their own businesses at twice the rate of men in the same communities and at a pace far higher than regions without NBN. The annual growth rate of self-employed women in NBN connected areas is 2.3 per cent versus 0.1 per cent in non-NBN connected areas. By 2021 NBN is expected to drive an additional up to 52,000 self-employed women. Let me indicate again: this is research undertaken by the firm AlphaBeta, headed by economist Andrew Charlton, who has a work history as an economic adviser to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.