Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to his statement to the Senate yesterday that:

NBN Co. go through … a daily assessment about how their partners are going. They are in constant contact seeking information from their construction partners. I am seeking to gain information from the NBN Co. to find out where that process is up to.

Minister, having indicated to the Senate yesterday that NBN Co. get daily updates and you are seeking information from them, can you now inform the Senate whether NBN Co. still expect their fibre network to be operational for 286,000 premises by 30 June this year?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Birmingham for his ongoing interests. As I stated yesterday:

At Senate estimates in February, NBN Co. CEO Mike Quigley informed the committee of the initial deployment challenges being … experienced by NBN Co.'s contractors.

…   …   …

In particular, Mr Quigley highlighted that workforce mobilisation issues were being faced … by Syntheo in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

We are determined to overcome these challenges with workforce mobilisation. NBN Co. is already taking measures. Today Service Stream announced that Syntheo has reached agreement with the NBN Co. to hand back the remainder of its design and construction activities in the Northern Territory. This will enable NBN Co. to take direct control of the rollout in the Northern Territory, allowing Syntheo to concentrate its resources on the rollout in Western Australia and South Australia to bring high-speed broadband to Australians in these states sooner. By June 2021 all Australians will have access to high-speed, universal, affordable broadband.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My question related to targets by 30 June this year, not June 2021, as the minister is currently trying to draw the Senate to. I ask you to please refer the minister to my very specific question, which was about targets by 30 June this year.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: the minister is giving a very detailed answer about the rollout schedule. That was precisely the content of the question. I know Senator Birmingham wants to make a political point, but the minister is being very helpful to the senator by providing him with details about how the government and the NBN are working in relation to the rollout schedule. There is no point of order.

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

The minister needs to come to the question that was asked. Minister, I draw your attention to the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President, and I draw your attention to my answer. The only thing that will stop the rollout of the NBN is those opposite. They have no broadband plan—their only position is to demolish the NBN. As I stated yesterday when asked if I have received an estimate of 140,000, the answer is no.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You said you were going to get the information.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am in the process. I hope that I will very shortly be able to inform you of the full details, but there is one thing you can be assured of— (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to his interview on Lateline on 27 November last year, in which he said:

Every day in Parliament when I'm asked a question … I announce how many connections we've got.

Will the minister tell the Senate exactly how many fibre connections the NBN now has, how many premises it expects will be able to access a fibre connection by 30 June 2013, not 2021, and whether he sent a carrier pigeon to get information from NBN Co. yesterday or whether he has any updated information? (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): The information Senator Birmingham is seeking is detailed, complex and involves a number of construction partners. It is not simply a question of NBN pressing a button. When it comes to negotiating with NBN Co., there are four construction partners that are also involved in the process of these estimates. When it comes to activations, which is a different question and which is what you are now referring to, I can tell you that NBN Co. is now I think well past 40,000 people in Australia—40,000 Australians are using the National Broadband Network and iiNet have just announced that they have doubled the number of people in the last three months; iiNet have doubled the number of fibre connections that they have got. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Birmingham is on his feet.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to the graph of brownfields premises passed June 2012 to June 2013 issued by NBN Co. in January this year, which indicated that 90,000 premises would be passed by the end of March. Given that recent NBN Co. data indicates that just 47,511 premises had been passed as at March 2012, does the minister acknowledge that his $50 billion white elephant never has and never will meet any of the targets that he sets for it? (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have learned from hard experience in the Senate that one should never necessarily believe all of the statistics quoted by those opposite. I am not sure if the statistics that you are claiming are absolutely correct, but I am happy to check for the senator whether those were accurate figures or whether he is playing games with splitting up different sets of figures to try and create the impression that he is seeking. But I am happy to come back to you on that issue, Senator Birmingham—very happy. As I said, I am happy. I have not seen the updated graph at this point, Senator Birmingham; I have not seen it. I am sure it will be part of the information that I am seeking at the moment.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When?

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

Order! You have had your question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would anticipate reasonably shortly, Senator Birmingham. I am expecting it reasonably shortly. So, Senator Birmingham, the information will be available shortly and, when I have had a moment to actually have a look at it when it arrives in its completion, we will be able to have a discussion about why we are delivering fast broadband— (Time expired)