Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Further to Senator Feeney’s questions, I ask: how can the government possibly justify its irresponsible refusal to conduct a full cost-benefit analysis of its biggest infrastructure project, the $43 billion NBN mark II proposal, despite its clear undertaking in last year’s budget:

Where governments invest in infrastructure assets, it is essential that they seek to achieve maximum economic and social benefits, determined through rigorous cost-benefit analysis …

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

Can I congratulate Senator Minchin on his question. Senator Minchin and those opposite prefer stunts, press releases and scare campaigns to actually developing a broadband policy. They prefer stunts to policy. To show just how uninterested Senator Minchin is in his own portfolio, he has Glenn Milne out there touting around to get him promoted—in his mind—out of the portfolio.

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

I draw your attention to the question, Senator Conroy.

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. Unfortunately, Glenn Milne has belled the cat on Senator Minchin. He is not interested in a broadband policy. He is not interested in anything other than trying to call for more studies—another cost-benefit analysis.

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

Senator Conroy, I draw your attention to the question.

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

Mr President, cost-benefit analysis was part of the question. He calls for a cost-benefit analysis as a cover for 11½ years and 18 failed broadband plans. They could not take up one reasonable broadband plan put forward by those in the National Party. They at least understood the benefits. But, no, Senator Minchin has decided to be as lazy as he can be and to see if he can get Glenn Milne to write him out of the portfolio. He needs a promotion so that he can go back to advising Mr Turnbull. He needs more help than you can give him, Senator Minchin! Even you could not help him.

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

Senator Conroy, address your comments to the chair. You have 21 seconds remaining.

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

While the opposition may choose to ignore the facts around the benefits of broadband, the cold, hard reality is that the response to the NBN right across consumer groups, the business sector and the telco sector has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been overwhelmingly positive. (Time expired

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I know Senator Conroy is stressed because Adelaide is going to beat Collingwood on the weekend, but I ask him why the government continues to refuse a full cost-benefit analysis of its $43 billion NBN proposal when its own Treasury Secretary, Ken Henry, said just last week:

Government spending that does not pass an appropriately defined cost-benefit test necessarily detracts from Australia’s wellbeing.

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

Senator Minchin and his cheer squad simply want to avoid facing up to having to develop a broadband plan. What we are seeing again are lazy press releases and no broadband plan. Let me be clear: we intend to deliver on our election commitments. We are exceeding—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! When we have silence, we will proceed.

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

We are exceeding our election commitments with the plan that we are currently implementing. The CEO of Foxtel, Kim Williams, pointed out in his recent National Press Club speech:

I think most of the response to the broadband initiative has been positive and in fact most of the negative commentary has really come, essentially, of a political nature rather than in terms of the operators and the landscape.

Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan has said— (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a second supplementary question. Is the minister aware that respected economic consultancy Concept Economics conducted a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of the proposed NBN, which found that its costs would exceed its benefits by between $14 billion and $20 billion? Doesn’t this finding necessitate a full cost-benefit analysis by the government before it borrows up to $40 billion to pay for its optical fibre rollout?

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

The whole premise of that question was false. The government are not going to be borrowing $40 billion. We have made it absolutely clear.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! The time for debating these issues is at the end of question time.

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

As for the ‘respected’ economic commentators Concept Economics, they are the advisers you hired for your tax policy that has vanished without trace. Frankly, they should take this analysis and put it in the same place you put their tax advice.