Page 3379 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 23 September 2015
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It is clear to us here today that this is merely an attempt to land a political blow, or to try to land a political blow, in light of recent events. I take heart in knowing that the appointment of Prime Minister Turnbull is obviously a cause of concern to those opposite me in the chamber and to the Australian Labor Party in general. To this I would add: yes, you should be worried. I do, however, question why Ms Fitzharris raises her concerns on the delays of the rollout of the NBN in the Assembly here today when for years the federal Labor government made very little progress in this area under Kevin Rudd.
Under Kevin Rudd Labor promised fast broadband for all Australians by 2013. Yet—surprise, surprise—here we are in 2015. Obviously, the coalition has had a few hurdles to cross after the delays that were experienced under Labor. It seems very convenient that these concerns are only just now coming to light. I do not recall any of these concerns being raised by Ms Fitzharris’s colleagues here in the chamber regarding Labor’s lack of progress during the term that Labor was in power.
Ms Fitzharris would have this Assembly note that the NBN was developed and commenced under the former Labor government. This statement seems to put a stop to her own argument. Ms Fitzharris is correct that the NBN plan commenced under the Rudd Labor government in April 2007. Kevin Rudd himself promised voters a national broadband network for all Australians by 2013. Quite obviously this date has well and truly come and gone, as has Kevin Rudd himself.
However, as for her own statement that it has been developed under Labor, I am sure the previous six years of Labor government, with no completion of the rollout, would demonstrate otherwise. I find Ms Fitzharris’s attempts to rewrite history in such a fashion quite audacious, unfair and quite misleading. It is interesting to note a few facts about the NBN under Labor. Three years into the rollout in early 2013 it was already two years behind schedule. But we did not hear any complaints from those on the ACT government side or hear them raising concerns about the drastic consequences of their federal counterparts’ lack of success with NBN and the lack of Labor’s initiatives and Labor’s irresponsible management of the complete project.
Ms Fitzharris should note that under the Labor government in August 2012 the NBN’s rollout across Canberra was already experiencing further delays and cost blowout nationally at about $1.5 billion. Details released by Labor then indicated that the rollout of the NBN in Ngunnawal and Amaroo would be delayed until May 2013, after having originally promised to deliver the service to Gungahlin in 2011. But again, we did not hear any such reminders from the government benches about the inability of the then federal government to complete the project as promised.
It is only now that Ms Fitzharris tries to rewrite some of this history. We may forgive her for not being involved in those days, but certainly some of her colleagues here should have set her straight on some of the actual facts as to how the rollout went in Canberra under a Labor government.
It is also interesting that Ms Fitzharris should mention the ACT government’s digital Canberra action plan, because from where I am standing, this is very much a case of
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