Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

GROGAN () (): The internet is no longer a luxury; it is a fundamental utility in this country and across the world, as essential as your water, electricity supply and roads. But far too many Australians don't have reliable internet. It still remains out of reach. Unfortunately, due to almost a decade of neglect under the coalition, we're well behind where we intended to be when Labor started this and well behind where we actually should be.

We know the coalition's history with the NBN. It's no secret. People have lived it. We've watched it play out. They opted for slower upgrades and even slower internet speeds, and they all but demolished the NBN system that the Labor government had started building. Given the chance this election, it would be no surprise to see Mr Dutton and the coalition likely privatise it, make cuts to it or slow down the speeds just so they can save some money because their rich friends can afford to purchase whatever is required for their own needs—and anyone else be damned.

The coalition have made it clear that they're not afraid to cut vital services that everyday Australians rely on—services like Medicare. We've seen announcements that there are going to be huge cuts, billions and billions in cuts, but they don't think anyone needs to know what they're going to be; that's a big surprise for later, as to what's going to be cut. But we only have to look at the history of the coalition. We only have to look at the history and the facts rather than listen to all the rubbish we hear being spouted over there. Their target will not just be the NBN, that vital service that we need for prosperity and to grow our economy. It'll be the cost of living. It'll be tax. It'll be education. It'll be our healthcare system. Let's not forget, particularly after an awful lot of wittering on today from over there, what they tried to do to the Racial Discrimination Act and section 18C. These are all facts. These are all things that the coalition government did when they were in government for almost 10 years. These are the things that they actually did, not the things they're telling you they're going to do now. There's a huge disconnect between those two things.

The Albanese Labor government is delivering on its commitment to complete the NBN rollout. We are delivering on that. We have committed to an investment of $3 billion to upgrade the remaining fibre to the node—the essential aspect of the NBN—to serve all households, not just some. It's not just about the infrastructure; it is also about affordability. That's why we're investing additional money into a really critical program to extend the School Student Broadband Initiative. That program provides access for families who need it most but maybe cannot afford it. Targeting that support to those children who need it and those families who need it is a huge part of our cost-of-living measures. As I've said, the internet is not a luxury; it is essential to engage in all the services we need for employment and for education. We need the internet for work and for the NBN to work as designed. It is now on catch-up following 10 disastrous years under the coalition. Labor is getting the NBN back on track for those students, for people in regional and remote areas and for all those people who are still struggling with poor internet speeds.

So don't listen to the rubbish that's being spoken over there. Just look at the history. Look at the facts. Look at what the coalition did when they were in government. Look at the facts and make appropriate choices. Only Labor will get the NBN on track and provide those essential internet services to Australians wherever they may be across our country.