Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer to his earlier comments around the high-speed fibre-to-the-node network. The minister gave an unequivocal election commitment that within six months of being in government the rollout of Labor’s proposed fibre-to-the-node network would begin. Is this still the minister’s promise to the Australian people?

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

I thank the senator for her question. I know she has a genuine and longstanding interest in this issue. It is tragic that she was not able to convince her colleagues of one of her own broadband plans, because it would actually have been a significant advance on the debacle that was the now opposition’s broadband plan. It was quite a visionary plan. It is, I am sure, to her eternal disappointment that she was not able to convince her colleagues.

As part of the Rudd Labor government’s commitment to boosting Australia’s productivity, the Rudd government gave a commitment to provide up to $4.7 billion and introduce regulatory changes to roll out a high-speed fibre broadband network. This will be the biggest national investment in broadband infrastructure ever made by an Australian government and demonstrates our commitment to invest in infrastructure vital for Australia’s future prosperity.

The new network—just to make sure that those opposite understand what the debate is around—will reach 98 per cent of Australia’s homes and businesses and deliver speeds of a minimum of 12 megabytes. This will be an open access network to promote competition in the telecommunications market and will be 40 times faster than anything proposed by those opposite and than most Australians have access to at the moment. The government is working to deliver this as fast as it can. As I commented earlier, there has been a lot—

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. I specifically asked the minister: was the time frame to be within the commitment of six months after election—that is, would the rollout begin six months after the Labor government came to power?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Yes, that is a point of order; it is a question of relevance. All I can say is that I cannot direct the minister how to answer the question, Senator Nash, but I remind Senator Conroy of the question.

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

As I was saying with regard to the Rudd Labor government’s high-speed fibre network, we announced the expert panel 48 hours ago and it has been given a time frame. We will seek contributions from the public about the specifications for what should be the tender documents, and that process will close on 30 March. The panel will then assess the relevant submissions and issue the specification documents. There will then be a three- to four-month period when proposals will be considered, because this government—unlike the previous government—is committed to ensuring proper process. We are committed to ensuring proper process, not a rorted process like those opposite were engaged in. We are not running into the cabinet room getting out maps of Australia, via electorates, putting them on the cabinet table and saying, ‘Oh, my goodness, we’d better make sure there is a tower there.’ Do you remember that particular high public policy debate you had in the cabinet room, Senator Minchin: ‘We’ve got to have a tower here’? There is no rorting of the process; we are having an open and transparent process. Advice from the probity officer says that commitments under the USFTA have to be followed in seeking— (Time expired)

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that the minister chose not to answer the question, we can only assume that the answer is no and the election commitment promise will be broken. I also ask the minister: given that during the recent estimates process department officials admitted that the fibre-to-the-premises—that is, schools—rollout was dependent on the fibre-to-the-node rollout, has the minister had discussions with the Minister for Education as to how this broken promise on the rollout will impact on Labor’s computers in schools program; and, if not, why not?

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

I once again make the point that my department is working night and day to deliver on the Rudd Labor government’s broadband policy commitment.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

You may laugh about it, but that is what is going on. While I accept that Senator Nash may not realise this, the fibre-to-the-schools proposal is actually administered—

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order going to relevance. I specifically asked the minister if he had had discussions with the Minister for Education.

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

Senator Conroy is answering the supplementary question as he sees fit, but I remind him of the question.

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

As I was saying, Senator Nash may not realise that the actual fibre-to-the-schools proposal is within another department. The appropriate person to answer the question is actually Senator Carr. But let me make it clear: I am in constant contact with my colleague. We are working together. These policies complement each other and will be the key to delivering Labor’s education revolution. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.