Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business, Senator Sherry. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the National Broadband Network will benefit—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

I understand people are a little bit excited today—

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck interjecting—

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

but if we can just curtail the excitement, Senator Colbeck, for a little while, we can end up getting through question time.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, can the minister outline to the Senate how the National Broadband Network will benefit small businesses, particularly those in regional and rural Australia? What is the potential of the small-business community—particularly in regional areas—to find new, innovative ways of doing business more efficiently and effectively by using the NBN?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my colleague from Tasmania. There was a wild cheer that went up from the opposition benches when the question was posed. It reminds me—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It wasn’t for you, Nick.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No it was certainly not for me, but it was reflective of the attitude of business in Tasmania to the NBN, because there is no doubt, if you look at the results from the federal election, that a large part of the reason for the relative success of Labor vis-a-vis the Liberal Party in Tasmania was business support for the NBN. The National Party does not exist in Tasmania, but that is another quite long and diverting story I could get to at another time. There is no doubt that the NBN is critical for—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Sherry, address the chair. Ignore the interjections.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to. The NBN is vital for small business, and nowhere is this more true than in regional Australia because it reduces the barriers put up by the tyranny of distance that business, particularly in regional Australia, has to overcome. Regional businesses can adopt teleworking. They can attract new customers using content-rich websites. They can use web conferencing. It allows small business to access online services, including staff training, the latest news, research and account payment. So it has a vast range of applications which overcome the tyranny of distance. The government is prioritising the rollout of the NBN in regional Australia.

I notice Senator Joyce is not paying any attention. It is typical of the National Party. The rollout of the NBN in regional Australia, particularly in a state like my own, Tasmania, helps small business to unlock new opportunities, to compete in overseas markets—(Time expired)

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for that answer. Can the minister also inform the Senate of how the government is helping small business owners go online and engage in the digital economy?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, and, yes, I will, but I just want to refer to an article written by the chief executive of the Council of Small Business of Australia, Mr Peter Strong. He said that internet sales had increased 18 per cent in the past year.

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

It was before NBN had even started.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to give another example of the benefits to business from embracing the internet. This is the potential, the power, Senator Macdonald, of the NBN, the power of the internet, which you simply do not appreciate and understand. This is the power of the internet and the power of the NBN in overcoming these disadvantages that business and small business, particularly in regional Australia, are faced with.

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

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald—through you, Mr President—should go and have a look at the website for Shoes of Prey. I do not mind giving a free ad to this company. They have been promoting, over YouTube, their business. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When we have some silence we will proceed.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz interjecting—

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

Having these discussions across the chamber does not assist the conduct of question time.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any alternative policies to the Gillard government’s world-leading NBN? Do these alternative policies pose risks to Australia’s long-term prosperity?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The alternative policy presented by the Liberal-National Party—dare I say it, the doormats down there—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you referring to the Greens?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not want to be too provocative, but the doormats down there, in particular, claim to represent regional Australia—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’re the doormats to them.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Sherry, ignore the interjections.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was not referring to the Greens, Senator Abetz; I was referring to the National Party. You would think that the National Party could recognise the advantages that the NBN and the internet provide for business, particularly small business, in regional Australia. But the approach of the opposition, the Liberal-National party, can be summed up as just wrecking and opposing. They had almost 12 long years in government. I think they had 11 plans, Senator Conroy; I think it was 11 or 12 plans in 12 years.

Honourable Senator:

An honourable senator interjecting—18!

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Eighteen! Sorry—18; I stand corrected. In almost 12 years, they failed to deliver the NBN, and they have nothing to deliver now. (Time expired)