Grant Chapman (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also direct my question to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Will the minister update the Senate on the government’s nation building, broadband rollout? What is the government’s response to the use of the court system and the Auditor-General process by Telstra and the opposition?

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Chapman for his question. I am concerned, as he is, about Telstra and the Labor Party working together to frustrate and delay the rollout of the new high-speed broadband network in Australia. While the government is focused on extending high-speed broadband out to 99 per cent of the population, it is clear that Labor and Telstra have been working hand in glove to try and prevent any independent broadband investment from proceeding.

Embarrassing Telstra documents released in the Federal Court in the past few days show that Telstra and Labor’s tactics included a plan to influence an investigation by the Auditor-General and to commence court proceedings in the hope the rollout of the new OPEL high-speed network build would be delayed. Internal Telstra strategy documents from November 2006 and June 2007 said: ‘The bid for funding will be noncompliant for a range of reasons. A better option than not participating may be to have the government reject our offer. We are taking the view that so long as we have claims that are arguable and will not be laughed out of court, we should run them even if the prospects of success are not great.’ These documents also show that the Labor Party was complicit in Telstra’s plans to derail the OPEL proposal. Pride of place in Telstra’s strategy to influence the Auditor-General is a letter in draft form from the Labor Party to the Auditor-General. Who was this unsigned draft letter from? None other than—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy.

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Conroy. You have to ask, Mr President, what was this draft letter from Labor to the Auditor-General doing in a Telstra strategy manual about influencing an independent auditor’s review? Was it there for a bit of technical tweaking or was it to give them notice?

The snag in this plan by Telstra and Labor to influence the Auditor-General is that the Auditor-General torpedoed their arguments when he found, ‘It was open to government to agree to negotiations being pursued with the preferred applicant and to commit to increase the program’s funding.’ Here we have it: a Telstra plan to deliberately submit a bid that it knew was not compliant and was doomed to fail, to get the Labor Party to seek to influence the Auditor-General—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We wrote to them, you idiot.

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to try to delay the rollout of the new, competitive, high-speed broadband network—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, you will withdraw that comment.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw that she is an idiot.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And that you withdraw unconditionally.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I withdraw unconditionally.

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that Senator Conroy is desperately embarrassed by being pinged here. Labor has tried to delay the rollout of the new, competitive, high-speed broadband network by OPEL and then tried to publicly attack the government in international forums and in seats all around Australia by talking up the Labor Party. Telstra’s disgraceful behaviour is on display for all to see. The Labor Party’s cynical, sneaky and opportunistic part in trying to delay the OPEL network build has been shown for what it is. Labor has no plan for over three million premises in rural and regional Australia that will simply miss out under its sham plan. Regional and rural Australians know that you cannot rely on the Labor Party. The only true friend of rural and regional Australia is the coalition, which will continue to deliver the services they need and want.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Your colleague is waiting to ask a question.

Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I refer to the letters the minister has sent to 500,000 Australians telling them that they are not currently able to access wireless broadband. Can the minister confirm that her letter was sent to both the Tumut and Bega telephone exchanges? Can the minister now explain why she sent a letter to the Bega and Tumut telephone exchanges to tell them that they have no broadband access? Isn’t it the case that both of these exchanges not only have broadband access but actually help to provide it to the local community? Is the minister really so desperate to sell her second-rate network that she is reduced to sending letters to telephone exchanges? How could the minister be so out of touch and, frankly, incompetent?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We will not proceed until there is order.

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I could say about that question, of course, is that it seems that Senator Hutchins has gone to the NIDA school for overacting, but, quite apart from that, I can also say that I have been absolutely delighted—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Of course, this really does show how desperate the Labor Party is that information about the government’s comprehensive broadband plan does not get out to rural and regional Australians who want these services and who will not get them under the Labor Party—certainly no-one in Australia will get them until 2013.

The mail-out, of course, simply informs consumers about new and affordable broadband services coming their way. Surely, if the Labor Party were interested in providing Australians with access to fast, affordable broadband, it would have supported this mail-out. I am absolutely delighted that my department wrote to over 500,000 householders across rural and regional Australia to advise them that a new, wholesale broadband network is now being rolled out. This new network will provide fast, affordable broadband to all Australians, regardless of where they live.

Unlike Labor, which need an inquiry to even get out of bed—it is a wonder they have not had one just to decide where they can roll out broadband—the Howard government is about making decisions in the best interests of all Australians and then getting on with the job of making those decisions a reality. A fast, affordable broadband service for all Australians regardless of where they live is a reality that this government has committed to, has costed and is currently rolling out.

The Labor Party, of course, want to shut down the good news. We all know that their response lacks credibility. It is a sham plan. It is uncosted and provides no coverage, and it only covers 75 per cent of the country. No wonder people in rural and regional Australia look forward to getting letters that inform them of not only the availability of services but also the fact that they will be affordable and will be available to them before 2013. It is no wonder that the Labor Party want to stop consumers being informed. They have desperately tried to shut down the OPEL network. They have conspired with Telstra to try and influence, quite improperly, the Auditor-General. They have tried without success to criticise every opportunity to tell consumers about services that are available regardless of where Australians live.

And it is not just Labor who wants to keep consumers in the dark, of course. Telstra, which only has itself to blame, has gone on a capital strike, has failed to provide fast broadband—which it could, at the flick of a switch—and then has the temerity to criticise an alternative provider who steps up to the plate and says, ‘If Telstra won’t do it, we will.’

I think it is an indictment on the Labor Party, an indictment on Senator Conroy and an indictment on all the people over there who he gets to ask his silly questions. The important thing is that all Australians can get fast broadband under the coalition’s plan, regardless of where they live.

Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister know how many of the 500,000 recipients of her letter either already have broadband or are in fact telephone exchanges? How much public money has been wasted on this propaganda campaign, the sole purpose of which is to help cover up the minister’s incompetence?

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I must say that I am hardly shattered by that penetrating question! The government is strongly committed to extending high-quality, affordable broadband as far as possible across Australia. That will include a mix of technologies that does include wireless, that does include ADSL2+, that will also extend the subsidy for satellite service and that tells people about the $2 billion Communications Fund that the Labor Party wanted to knock off for a metropolitan service. I am very pleased that the people of Australia know that there is at least one party—and that is the government in Australia—that actually stands up for consumers, understands what they need and is getting on with delivering it, ignoring the sideshow from the Labor Party.