Senator WILLIAMS (1:35 PM) —I have some brief comments in relation to Senator Farrell’s reference to the National Broadband Network. We were told clearly before the election that this super-duper broadband network would cover 98 per cent of Australia—98 per cent of Australians would be covered by fast broadband. Now it has been reduced to 90 per cent. What happened to the other eight per cent is a question I would like to know the answer to. The other eight per cent from the promise prior to the election are now missing out. Of course, we know what areas they will be. They will not be the urban areas or city areas; they will be small communities such as Ashford and Nundle, and those towns of 1,000 people or less will be missing out.

This is another broken promise: 98 per cent prior to the election was the figure that everybody is in no doubt of remembering and it is now 90 per cent—the eight per cent discount has been brought in because of Minister Conroy. This is a situation where he is simply saying to those in rural and regional areas and small communities: ‘You are irrelevant; you can miss out. We’ll bring the super-duper 100 megabytes download broadband to the urban and city areas, but to hell with the small areas.’

Senator Conroy —You are being very cheeky!

Senator WILLIAMS —Cheeky is something that I have never been in my life! I want to make the point to the Senate that those eight per cent—towns of 1,000 people or less—will miss this. It is a big investment; it is a big borrowing of $43 billion. You would think those people who are vital to our nation, who grow the food bringing the export dollars that earn so much for our nation, should not be forgotten. That is the point I wish to make.