Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. I refer to paragraph 2.5 of the Commonwealth Government Business Enterprise Governance and Oversight Guidelines, which requires GBEs to 'avoid activities that could give rise to questions about their political impartiality'. Can the minister advise the Senate how the request by this minister and the former Minister for Communications for nbn co to include a distorted counterfactual of Labor's NBN plan in their latest corporate plan is consistent with this requirement?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Singh for that question. I completely reject the premise of the question. We did not ask nbn co to assess a distorted version of Labor policy. As part of prudent, good and effective government we asked them to assess various alternative ways of delivering the NBN project at the best possible price in the fastest possible way. That is just good government at work. You might try it sometime. Instead of having Senator Conroy on a VIP aircraft writing down some notes on the back of a beer coaster on how to waste a lot of taxpayers' money, we are asking our government business enterprises to properly assess all of the various options and to ensure that taxpayers' money is treated with respect.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate how requesting the inclusion of a political counterfactual, which ministers knew would not replicate the rigour of nbn co's business plan, is consistent with paragraph 1.7 of the Commonwealth GBE guidelines requiring GBEs to 'maintain the highest standards of integrity, accountability and responsibility'?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have essentially dealt with the substantive part of that question in my answer to the first question. Of course, Senator Fifield very eloquently answered the substantive part of that question in his answers. I might again say to Senator Singh—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Wong on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President. The question dealt with the consistency with the GBE guidelines, for which this minister is responsible, and the letter he chose to write asking a GBE to cost a policy which the government had ruled out.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order, Senator Wong. The question was, could the minister advise the Senate in relation to a request made. In a previous answer he has refuted that that request was made, and he again rejected the premise of the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike the Labor Party when they were in government, unlike the Labor Party when they initiated this NBN fiasco when they were in government, we are actually going through proper, orderly processes. We are encouraging our government business enterprises to prudently and properly assess all of the various options that might be available. I would just remind you of TheAustralian Financial Review editorial which I believe was published today. Labor has no credibility—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Wong, on a point of order?

Mr President, I raise a point of order on direct relevance. He has been asked how his actions were consistent with the GBE guidelines.

That was the second part of the question. I wrote the question down as it was asked, and it commenced by asking, could he advise the Senate about requesting nbn co. That was the commencement.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Wong, I do not need you to repeat—

Senator Wong interjecting—

The minister rejected the premise of the question up front. That is also the basis of my ruling.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say it again very slowly: all of our actions were entirely consistent with the guidelines. Labor's criticism is pretty extraordinary— (Time expired)

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Doesn't this joint conspiracy to breach Commonwealth guidelines confirm that these ministers have cooked the books to cover up for their incompetence, instead of addressing their multibillion dollar NBN cost blow-out?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, there is no conspiracy. Secondly, Senator Singh talks about NBN cost blow-outs. When Labor first announced their NBN policy it was going to cost $4.7 billion. That was in 2007. That went up to $42 billion in 2009, and we were heading for $100 billion under Labor's discredited approach. You were wasting taxpayers' money because you did not know what you were doing. In the time of the previous Labor government Senator Conroy travelled to Darwin five times, essentially to switch on five connections. He did one trip to Darwin for every connection of the new NBN. This was the sort of disrespect that Labor showed for taxpayers' money. We are doing it in a different way. We are making sure that this project is delivered on time, on budget and according to our priorities, and we are delivering it faster and more cheaply and more affordably for consumers than Labor ever would have. (Time expired)