Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. What is the dollar value of the equity contribution being provided by the federal government to the Tasmanian NBN company this financial year and over the life of the project? What take-up assumptions has the government based its equity contribution on, or is Tasmanian Premier Bartlett correct when says that ‘the take-up rate doesn’t matter’?

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

I thank Senator Barnett for his ongoing support for the National Broadband Network being rolled out in Tasmania, as I previously mentioned. As we have made clear, the rollout will connect 200,000 homes, businesses, schools and hospitals in Tasmania with optic fibre capable of delivering feeds of 100 megabits per second.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You think.

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

To take the interjection from my colleague Senator Abetz, we have said that it will be a four- to five-year rollout. But, in terms of the first connections and the first services to be provided, we have said that that will be by, I think, July next year. I do not think I can be clearer than that, Senator Abetz.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, just address the chair.

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

Mr President, I do not want to get involved in Tasmanian Liberal factional politics, but it is clear from Senator Barnett’s question that he has chosen to believe a number—

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ferguson interjecting—

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

I am not involved in yours in South Australia, Senator Ferguson.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, ignore the interjections.

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

At 39 per cent Tasmania currently has the lowest proportion of households with broadband of any state or territory. That is the legacy of the Tasmanian senators opposite.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order and it relates to the standing orders regarding relevance. I have asked two questions which were quite specific. They relate to the equity contribution and the take-up assumptions by the government. The minister has not addressed either of those questions. I would ask you to draw his attention to the questions.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order, what we now have is the opposition restating their question rather than going to the substance of the issue. The minister has over half a minute left to provide an answer to the question. Again we are in this position where the opposition are just jumping up midway through the answer to a question and arguing that it is not directly relevant. My submission is that the minister is being directly relevant to the question and that there is sufficient time to continue to be directly relevant to the question and provide all of the information that the opposition have asked for.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, there are 34 seconds remaining in your time to answer the question. I draw your attention to the question asked by Senator Barnett.

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

Let me be clear: the Tasmanian and the national governments’ broadband rollout in Tasmania is currently the subject of a tender process. We are actually seeking to purchase the fibre. Depending on the outcome of a ‘live’ tender process, we will potentially be able to answer all of that question. There are many parts of the rollout yet to be tendered for. (Time expired)

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has clearly refused to answer the first two questions. So, through you, Mr President, if the estimates of Tasmanian industry figures are correct and less than 20 per cent of Tasmanian premises sign up for Tasmanian NBN company services, will the federal taxpayer contribution increase to subsidise the network or should households be prepared to pay significantly more to access the network?

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

That entire question is based on a string of assumptions that are fundamentally incorrect. It is impossible to answer a question that is based on hypothetical assumptions that were in the newspaper this morning and that have nothing to do with the project. It could not be clearer than that. ‘If there is only this take-up’—how can one possibly answer a question that is based on a hypothetical? So let me be clear: Tasmania currently has the worst and most expensive broadband in this country. That is your legacy—yours and yours and yours. You can put out all the press releases you want—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, just address this chair.

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

Thank you, Mr President, I could not possibly blame you, though. But those opposite from Tasmania have left the state of Tasmania in a state of disrepair when it comes to broadband. (Time expired)

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the $90,000 payments to the NBN company directors for their part-time roles, how much will the Tasmanian NBN company directors be paid to oversee a project that looks increasingly like it will not be at all commercially viable?

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

I am not even sure, Mr President, that that question is based on facts; it is just based on a simple assertion. You have no basis to make that assertion whatsoever. I think the answer to the factual part of your question—and I am happy to come back and add to this—is that the directors of the TNBN Co. will be paid around $40,000. I am not sure that that has been absolutely finalised at this point in time, but it is around $40,000. The TNBN Co. executive chair, Mr Doug Campbell, is being paid, I think, $210,000 to be the chair and the CEO. I think that is the factual answer to the rest of your question, which was pure myth, hypothesis and assertion. (Time expired)