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. Welcome back, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to a recent editorial on Labor’s record on broadband in my hometown newspaper the Adelaide Advertise, which quite astutely observed:

So far, not one household or business has been hooked up to anything they could not have accessed before Labor took government.

Can the minister explain to the Senate why it is that two years after the government’s election, and despite having made extravagant election promises to the Australian people, he has failed to deliver a single new broadband service to a home, business, school or farm under the guise of his much touted National Broadband Network?

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

I congratulate Senator Minchin on taking time out from attacking his leader to ask a question in the chamber.

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

Just address 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

That is very good of him, because if Senator Minchin had spent more time on his portfolio in recent months he would perhaps have noticed my recent visit to Adelaide where I launched a project, Adam Internet’s new WiMAX network, which was created entirely—

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

That was under the Australian broadband guarantee!

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

Senator Minchin interjected that that was under the ABG. For those in the chamber who are not aware of this, the previous government decided not to fund the ABG at all. In the outyear columns of their budget document was zero, zero, zero, zero. This government took the decision that this is a program that needs to be expanded. Because of the hard work of the Rudd government and the Rann government, we see Adam Internet being able to have a footprint across the city of Adelaide for its 500,000 people. As we demonstrated by going not only to the main hub but also to the homes of some of the first people connected, the service in Adelaide is up and running. So the basic premise of the question is false.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President: Senator Conroy either is quite clearly misleading the Senate now or was misleading the Senate when he used to sit on this side of the chamber, because back then he used to call WiMAX a dog of a system and now he seems to be in love with it.

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

That is not a point of order, Senator Birmingham.

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

I have another point of order, Mr President. I do not think it is appropriate for senators to use spurious points of order to make claims against ministers that they have misled the Senate. I ask you to rule on that. It is of interest to find Senator Birmingham defending Senator Minchin. It is an occasion worth noting, but it is quite inappropriate for senators to abuse the time of the Senate by making points of order to make claims against ministers.

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

Order! There is no point of order. Senator Conroy, you have 26 seconds remaining.

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

The entire premise of Senator Minchin’s question is due to the fact that he has spent almost the last three months undermining his leader. What we have seen is the government begin the rollout in Tasmania: trenches are being dug, cables are being strung and ducting is being put up. We are about to announce the Backhaul blackspots program. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I need order on both sides. Senator Minchin is entitled to ask his question in silence.

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

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. Will the minister acknowledge that, as a result of his cancellation of the coalition government’s Optus Elders broadband project, which would have delivered new and affordable services to up to 900,000 underserved premises across rural and regional Australia this year, Australians are without doubt worse off under the Rudd government despite its grandiose election promises?

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

As I mentioned to the chamber before, Senator Minchin is taking a sweep on that side of the chamber to see whether or not he can get himself moved out of this portfolio or get himself replacing the Leader of the Opposition—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Just address the question, Senator Conroy. You are not asked to address that.

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

What we are seeing now is the 175th press release. I am sure you have sent a few more out that have been attacking Mr Turnbull, so I do not count those ones, Senator Minchin.

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

Order! Senator Conroy, you and Senator Minchin should not be having a discussion across the chamber. Senator Conroy, address the question and ignore the interjections.

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

Senator Minchin hankers after OPEL.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a dog!

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

Let me confirm exactly what Senator Birmingham just said: it was a dog. It was such a dog that it actually failed the precedents in your own contract signed by Senator Coonan, who is sitting behind you. Senator Coonan put in place a series of hurdles that the OPEL project had to meet. Let me be very clear: it failed them because they had no spectrum; they were not prepared to commit the resources. (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. Considering the minister has failed to deliver a single new broadband connection via his National Broadband Network in his two years in office, how can he possibly justify a decision to pay disgraced former Labor MP and party apparatchik Mike Kaiser $450,000 per annum out of taxpayers’ money as a spin doctor with NBN Co, a company which generates no revenue, has no customers and delivers no services to anybody?

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

One of the problems when you are deeply engaged in other than your own portfolio’s activities is that perhaps you forget what you have done and said in the past, because it is not that long ago that a gentleman named Mr John Short was foisted on Telstra. He was in actual fact terminated by Telstra and, after the intervention of somebody with the president of the company, he was re-employed, did not have to pay back his redundancy package and was paid a minimum starting salary of $400,000. Everyone pointed the finger at Senator Minchin. What did Senator Minchin have to say? A spokesman for Senator Minchin confirmed the minister had known Mr Short for several years but would not say whether he had any role in him being rehired by Telstra. Senator Minchin has known John Short for a long time, but the company’s management policy is entirely a matter for the company. Obviously in his role as finance minister— (Time expired)