Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Has the minister seen the recent statement by Jeremy Hunt about the UK's ambition for broadband and does this have implications for Australian broadband policy?

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

I thank the senator for his question. In an article in the Australian Financial Review today the member for Wentworth has again used the plan of BT in the UK as the model for his broadband policy. The UK minister responsible for communications, Mr Jeremy Hunt, does not seem to agree with his Conservative colleague on the importance of broadband policy. Yesterday, Minister Hunt emphasised the need to get broadband policy right. Here is what Mr Hunt had to say:

My nightmare is that when it comes to broadband we could make the same mistake as we made with high speed rail.

When our high speed rail network opens from London to Birmingham in 2026 it will be 45 years after the French opened theirs, and 62 years after the Japanese opened theirs. Just think how much our economy has been held back by lower productivity over half a century.

We must not make the same short-sighted mistake. He went on to say, 'We must never fall into the trap of saying any speed is enough. Today's super fast is tomorrow's super slow.' Minister Hunt went on to respond to a House of Lords committee, saying:

… they suggest that fibre to the cabinet is the sum of the government's ambitions. They are wrong. Where fibre to the cabinet is the chosen solution, it is most likely to be a temporary stepping stone to fibre to the home.

That is right, 'a temporary stepping stone to fibre to the home'. Mr Hunt has demonstrated the short-sighted vision of those opposite, particularly the short-sighted, cowardly approach that those down in that far corner are showing on behalf of their constituents.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise whether fibre to the node has been considered by the Australian government, and is the minister aware of fibre-to-the-node developments in other markets close to Australia?

Senator Birmingham interjecting—

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

Yes, you are right, Senator Birmingham, but the government did initially consider an FTTN solution.

Senator Birmingham interjecting—

As senators would be aware, and Senator Birmingham is interjecting, we went to tender but could not find a commercial partner for that solution. But more significantly the expert panel, with some of Australia's finest minds in telecommunications, that evaluated the tender advised the government that FTTP was the future for broadband—to the premises. 'FTTN is a costly diversion from the optimal path of fibre to the home and does not offer value for taxpayers' dollars.' That is what the experts said. I know the experts are not people whom those on the other side might take any notice of but, just like the New Zealand government, who abandoned midstream their fibre to the node bill to build fibre to the premises, Mr Turnbull and those opposite are being— (Time expired)

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any other countries where fibre-to-the-premises networks are being built?

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

Mr Turnbull told us to look at the UK. Mr Turnbull told us to look at New Zealand. We have seen that both of those countries are turning to fibre to the premises. But Mr Turnbull did not mention France. You might ask why he did not mention France, because France is building a fibre-to-the-home network to 15 million French citizens by 2020. Does Mr Turnbull know about France? Let me turn to Mr Turnbull's declaration of interests, which he has just released about his personal investments. Did he invest in British Telecom? No. Has he invested in New Zealand Telecom's Chorus? No. Did he invest in French Telecom and its fibre-to-the-home network? Yes. Mr Turnbull knows a business when he sees it, but what he should be doing is putting his mouth where his money is—in fibre to the home. (Time expired)