Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications, Senator Fifield. On 6 June 2017, Charles Clinic Heart Care in Tasmania wrote to you outlining the disparity in internet quality between their main clinic in Launceston and their outreach clinic in Burnie. The clinic needs upload speeds of at least 10 megabits per second, but NBN Co will not guarantee these speeds over fibre to the node. As a result, the clinic may close and patients may be forced to travel to Launceston for appointments. Minister, why have you continued to roll out fibre to the node when it cannot guarantee even basic upload speeds?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Urquhart for the question. Obviously, I cannot comment in relation to a particular business or premises, but I should make the point, as I did earlier in answer to a question from Senator Georgiou, that the NBN was a failed project under our predecessors where barely 50,000 people nationwide had an active NBN service; contractors had downed tools in four states; and the best part of $6 billion had been spent over four years for that suboptimal outcome. Since that time—because of the good work that my predecessor did in this portfolio—the NBN will very shortly, by 30 June, be available to 50 per cent of Australians.

The NBN is going to be complete by 2020—and that is a good six to eight years sooner than would have been the case under those opposite and at about $30 billion less cost. One of the main reasons why that is the case is that this government has given the mandate to NBN for a multitechnology mix. That means that the NBN has the capacity to choose the technology that makes sense in a given area that will see the NBN rolled out fastest and at the lowest cost.

The NBN is one of the great corporate turnaround stories in Australia compared to what it was when we inherited it. There are a range of options available to NBN customers. There are a range of speed tiers available from the retail service providers. (Time expired).

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

Senator Urquhart, a supplementary question.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The current connection for the clinic is a node 1.7 kilometres from the hospital, which is across the road from another node. NBN Co have committed to moving the node to within 500 metres of the hospital. Why would NBN Co move a node 1.2 kilometres closer to a hospital but not right to the hospital?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have total knowledge of each premises in Australia, obviously, or of the tens of thousands of individual nodes nationwide, so I cannot speak to the specific circumstance of the particular institution to which Senator Urquhart has alluded.

This is one of the most significant infrastructure projects that has ever been undertaken in Australia. Effectively, NBN is seeking to do, over the course of six or so years, that which took the PMG and Telecom the best part of 80 or 90 years. This is a mammoth venture: it is on track and it is on budget.

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

Senator Urquhart, a final supplementary question.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

NBN Co are hosting renowned demographer Bernard Salt at a breakfast in Launceston next week on Launceston's 'lifestylepreneur' movement. Minister, can you commit to the NBN fixing the digital divide between fibre-to-the-premises cities, like Launceston, and those like Burnie that have been left behind on fibre to the node?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This gives me an opportunity to draw the attention of colleagues to the fact that, at the last election, the Australian Labor Party abandoned their policy of fibre to the premises for pretty much every residence and business in Australia. The Australian Labor Party walked away from that. The Australian Labor Party at the last election adopted a modified multi-technology mix approach—

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

Order! Pause the clock. Senator Gallagher, a point of order?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, the question was not about Labor policy; it was around whether the minister will commit to fixing the digital divide between two cities in Tasmania. He has 26 seconds left to answer that.

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

Thank you, Senator Gallagher. I will remind the minister of the question.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not think it is a digital divide to have a policy that sees the NBN rolled out nationwide to every premises six to eight years sooner than would have been the case under those opposite when they were in government. I do think it is relevant for me to point out, Mr President, that if you pick up the Australian Labor Party policy from the last election you will not find in there a commitment to have— (Time expired)