Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today because I want to express my profound disappointment in the Labor Party's attitude towards regional Australia and the desperate need to address mobile connectivity. It is no secret that residents in rural and remote areas struggle with inadequate mobile coverage, resulting in safety issues and gaps in communication, including ones that result in the loss of business opportunities. That's why when we were in government the Nationals developed the Mobile Black Spot Program. In our time in government we constructed and delivered over 1,200 base stations, funded across rural and Australia in seats of all political holdings. And now Labor has the reins. Congratulations.

They came in saying they would address the problems. Well, what have they done? They've given it a new name, for starters, because Labor are very good at changing logos, giving new names and changing the machinery of government. They've called it the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia and they claim this program will finally address the issue of regional connectivity, but the reality is that it is nothing more than a sham.

While in government, we recognised that, through the five earlier rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program in the early days, the low-hanging fruit was taken. The obvious and mildly commercial options were addressed. We saw the need over time to adjust the program. We developed round 5A and then we developed new guidelines for round 6. We looked at new ideas. We sat down with community and industry to ensure that even our most remote communities had a hope of getting access to funding through the program. Whether it was councils building towers to be accessed by all providers or looking at small-cell options, everything was on the table. We worked with industry and community anywhere that connectivity was an issue, regardless of political holdings.

Then Labor came in, and Labor's promise to improve mobile phone coverage in black spots has been nothing but a political exercise in pork-barrelling, aimed at winning votes and boosting the party's profile in Labor electorates. The sad truth is that, in announcing funding under the latest round, Labor has done nothing but feather its own nest.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You hold Bass! That's not true.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is absolutely true, because in New South Wales all of the sites selected were in Labor electorates. In Victoria the majority of sites went to Labor electorates. I agree we hold Bass, Senator Polley, but in Tasmania the majority of black spot programs went to Labor electorates. It is beyond belief that no funding went to seats like Farrer, where I live, or the Riverina or Parkes—the majority of regional and rural New South Wales.

When questioned on 2GB radio by Ben Fordham, Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland actually admitted that, yes, she hand-picked every site for funding. She admitted that she worked with Labor candidates prior to the election to identify their locations for funding. She agreed that none of the locations chosen were selected based on advice from the Department of Communications.

I believe there is a word for this blatant partisan decision-making. What is it? Pork-barrelling! What is worse: given that Labor holds a minority of regional seats, this sort of partisan funding should ring alarm bells right across rural and regional Australia. I find it deeply concerning that the Labor Party is more interested in scoring political points than addressing the real issues faced by regional people. (Time expired)