Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) Internet access is now an essential service and has been declared as such in several countries, including Canada, Spain, and Finland,

  (ii) regulation of telecommunication services, including fixed-line, mobile and broadband services, must treat telecommunications as an essential service,

  (iii) the 2016-17 annual report of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reported 158 016 complaints, representing a 41 per cent increase in complaints, and

  (iv) the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman received approximately double the number of complaints received by Ombudsman offices covering other essential services, including energy, water and financial services; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

  (i) bring forward the intended Review of the Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Framework (Safeguards Review), including review of the industry self-regulatory arrangements set out in Part 6 of the Telecommunications Act 1997,

  (ii) closely monitor the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code reviews process and direct the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to make an industry standard to drive better customer service and industry practice if the process fails to deliver effectively, and

  (iii) ensure that the direction to the ACMA to implement new broadband consumer protections, as announced by the Minister for Communications (Senator Fifield) on 21 December 2017, is enacted swiftly.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government recognise that Australians depend on broadband in their everyday lives, which is precisely why we are rolling out the NBN as quickly as possible. Under this government, we've gone from fewer than 300,000 premises able to correct to the NBN to more than six million. Over 99 per cent of Australians have mobile coverage, and we are rolling out more than 870 towers, under our Mobile Black Spot Program, to address more than 4,000 publicly nominated black spots. This government is already delivering. We have already committed to reviewing consumer safeguards and will do so. We have already directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority to make new standards to improve the customer experience on the NBN, and work is already underway to make this a reality.

Question agreed to.