Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) 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 the minister’s extraordinary incompetence in mistakenly tabling yesterday parts of the ACCC report which contained highly confidential information about the value of Telstra’s network assets. Will the minister accept full responsibility for this latest blunder, and has he personally apologised to Telstra for the disclosure of this very sensitive commercial information?

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

Yes, I take full responsibility; and yes, I have spoken to David Thodey. Let me also confirm that the documents tabled yesterday in relation to the NBN request for proposal expert panel report inadvertently contained confidential information provided to the expert panel by the ACCC. Let me be very clear: Senator Minchin has been demanding the release of this information and we have been stating from day one that we would not do that. So yes, it was a mistake. But let us be clear: Senator Minchin and those opposite are demanding the release of more confidential information.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Conroy, resume your seat. When there is order, we will proceed.

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

They are demanding more confidential information be released from other participants in the tender process. They have gone to the extraordinary length of putting a blanket ban on dealing with any broadband or NBN related bill until we release all of that confidential information. So do not come in here pretending to cry on behalf of Telstra or cry on behalf of Telstra’s shareholders when you are demanding this information be released. I note that Telstra has made a statement to the stock exchange today on this issue. I quote:

Telstra refers to an article in today’s Australian Financial Review regarding the National Broadband Network and notes that the figures quoted are from an ACCC report tabled in Parliament yesterday that relate to regulatory cost modelling provided to the Expert Panel as part of the Government’s 2008 National Broadband Network (NBN) Request For Proposals …

This is the very information you are demanding. (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 ask the minister: doesn’t this most serious breach of confidentiality seriously compromise NBN negotiations between the government and Telstra, which could be to the detriment of either the Australian taxpayers or Telstra shareholders—or, more likely, both? Does it not compromise the ACCC in its role in access determinations?

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

It regrettable, as I have said, that an unfortunate error resulted in this confidential information not being removed before it was tabled. I take personal responsibility. I have made that absolutely clear. We have admitted the mistake.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resign.

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

Even Senator Minchin is not going that far, fair dinkum.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Conroy, address your comments to the chair. Ignore the interjections. The interjections are disorderly.

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

We are confident that constructive talks with Telstra can continue. The value of network assets is a subject of talks with Telstra and we have already indicated that we will not be discussing or giving a running commentary on these discussions. But, as I said, once again the gross hypocrisy of those opposite is on display in relation to this issue. Senator Minchin has expressed concerns about the release of the data, and we share those concerns. However, the effect of the motion being debated, which those opposite have championed in order to block NBN deals, would require the government—(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 further supplementary question. Given the minister’s incompetent revelation of highly confidential information about Telstra’s network, why should other telecommunications companies and utilities trust this minister with the handling of their sensitive network information which the government insists on acquiring for the conduct of the NBN implementation study?

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

Senator Minchin again demonstrates his hypocrisy. Senator Minchin wants information that is supplied by companies in confidence as part of a tender process to be released into the public domain. He asked for this information. In actual fact, his office put out its 164th press release yesterday before they had read the information condemning me for not releasing more information. Read No. 164. This shows that Senator Minchin’s real agenda is to block and spoil our reforms to the sector and the rolling out of the NBN. Senator Minchin is not interested in improving broadband services for Australians, he is not interested in lower broadband prices for Australians, he is not interested in faster speeds for Australians and he is certainly not interested in regional and rural Australians closing the gap that exists at the moment in broadband services. (Time expired)