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

I can, indeed. Three weeks ago, I cited research by AlphaBeta Advisors, a firm headed by Andrew Charlton, who was previously chief economic adviser to former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. That revealed that the NBN is driving business growth across the country and, in particular, female entrepreneurship. For example, the research found the growth in self-employed women in NBN-connected areas is 20 times the pace of that in non-NBN-connected areas. Last week, a televised address featuring three leading businesswomen at the National Press Club put real faces to the stats which show how connectivity is helping women realise their business dreams.

Naomi Simson, founder of RedBalloon, which sells experience gifts like cooking classes or skydiving to 500,000 Australians every year, said her business would not have been possible without the internet, which enabled her to care for her children and work from home to create a business which is currently turning over $80 million a year. Indigenous woman Mikaela Jade built her cutting-edge tech firm, Jabiru, three hours drive from Darwin. Mikaela showed how augmented reality technology is bringing ancient Indigenous stories to the world via an impressive app which you can download on your phone. She spoke about how internet connectivity is helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities sell their bush medicine products to the world over the web. And Olivia Ruello, CEO of Business Chicks, uses the internet to drive Australia's largest and most influential community for women. Last week, these women took to the national stage as real-life examples of how fast broadband delivered over the NBN is helping to achieve business dreams.