Senator BIRMINGHAM (2:38 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator BIRMINGHAM —Another day, Senator Wong, I am sure. I refer the minister to his statement to the Senate yesterday, which said of his much hyped agreement with Telstra that it:

Will the minister inform the Senate how much faster and how much cheaper?

Senator CONROY (Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) —I thank Senator Birmingham for that question particularly, because I am drawn to a comment in today’s papers from John Durie, who was talking about this. He talked about the cost and what was being paid to Telstra. John Durie said:

Senator Brandis —Mr President, I rise on a point of order. You know that there were two amounts sought in the question and that was all: how much faster and how much cheaper? The minister has not addressed the question at all. He has quoted commentary by an economic commentator, who does not address the quantities either, and he has engaged in abuse of the opposition. You should direct him to the question, which was specific to two quantities: how much faster and how much cheaper?

Senator Ludwig —Mr President, on the point of order: the minister has been directly answering the question. The minister has been relevant to the question. There were two parts to the point of order that was taken. One was, of course, not mentioned but I assume it was on relevance. The second was on the accuracy of the minister’s statement, and I say there is no point of order in respect of that.

The PRESIDENT —I am listening closely to the minister’s response. The minister has a minute and nine seconds to answer the question that was asked.

Senator CONROY —The heads of agreement and policy reforms announced yesterday will deliver clear benefits for Australia over both the short term and the long term. In the short term, I repeat: the agreement paves the way for the National Broadband Network to be built faster, more cheaply and more efficiently and with faster take-up, higher revenues and less use of overhead cabling.

Senator Birmingham —Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I think when it comes to standing orders related to tedious repetition, you might find that during Senator Brandis’s point of order the minister opened the file that he had yesterday and is now reading the exact same words he said yesterday—the ultimate in tedious repetition. Could you please draw his attention to the relevance of the question: how much faster; how much cheaper?

The PRESIDENT —There is no point of order. Senator Conroy, you have 44 seconds remaining.

Senator CONROY —As a result, Australians will more quickly gain access to all the benefits of superfast broadband. NBN Co.’s CEO, Mike Quigley, confirmed that the agreement will result in significant savings in the overall build cost, but for commercial reasons he indicated that he would not disclose those figures. But if you care to read some of the commentary today, which I know is a painful exercise for you, you will see industry commentators with some experience in the sector, unlike those opposite, who claim that the savings are in the billions—that is, industry experts in the papers today: ‘in the billions’. The agreement with Telstra— (Time expired)

Senator BIRMINGHAM —Mr President, I will try a supplementary question that may not have such commercial sensitivity. I refer the minister to his subsequent statement to the Senate yesterday that under his so-called agreement ‘a greater proportion of the NBN rollout will be underground’. Will the minister inform the Senate what proportion will be underground? How much greater will it be as a result of this so-called agreement?

Senator CONROY (Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) —The agreement with Telstra means that the rollout of the NBN, as you have correctly identified from my statements yesterday, can be built on existing infrastructure, including Telstra’s network of ducts and facilities. This clearly means a reduction in civil engineering costs, which are usually a significant proportion of any rollout. NBN Co. will be able to maximise its use of underground cabling. This means there will be less overhead cabling by definition—substantially less. The agreement will also allow an orderly transition for Telstra’s customers—

Senator Brandis —Mr President, I raise a point of order. Once again the question was directed to two quantities: what proportion and how much greater. Nothing the minister has said has been relevant to that question and it certainly has not been directly relevant to it. He was asked about two quantities and he has not approached naming them.

Senator Chris Evans —On the point of order, Mr President, Senator Conroy went directly to the question of the infrastructure and whether it was underground or overhead. He went exactly to that question and was attempting to give the Senate an appropriate answer. I do not know whether the opposition have run out of questions, because they are wasting their time and question time. But clearly the minister was directly relevant and attempting to answer the senator’s question.

The PRESIDENT —The minister is addressing the question. The minister has 22 seconds remaining.

Senator CONROY —The NBN Co. will be able to maximise its use of underground cabling. The agreement will also allow an orderly transition for Telstra’s customers onto the new wholesale only network. In the longer term the agreement will fundamentally transform the competitive dynamics. If there is any extra information, I will seek that from NBN Co. and come back to you.

Senator BIRMINGHAM —I have a second supplementary question, Mr President. If the minister cannot tell us how much faster, how much cheaper or how much more fibre will be rolled out underground, how can we or anyone believe that this so-called agreement has any level of detail at all? Isn’t this just another case of Rudd Labor failing to dot the i’s and cross the t’s and leaving taxpayers exposed to endless costs and great risk?

Senator CONROY (Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) —The tragedy when you write your question in advance of hearing the answer to the previous two is that it can become completely irrelevant. It can become completely irrelevant following those answers. It is a great pity to see that what was said in the Age editorial which I mentioned in an earlier answer is being demonstrated across the chamber. They have no idea whatsoever about how this—

Senator Ian Macdonald —How can any President let you get away with this?

The PRESIDENT —Order! Interjecting is disorderly, Senator Macdonald. I remind you of that.

Senator CONROY —The NBN will be an enabling platform across the economy, critical for small businesses, future health care delivery, the education of our young people and our ability to work cleaner, smarter and faster. The NBN and the digital technologies it will support offer massive opportunities to drive market efficiencies and productivity.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Senator CONROY —Just because you do not understand what a smart grid is, Senator Abetz, does not mean everybody else in the country is equally ignorant. (Time expired)