Title NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK COMPANIES BILL 2010
TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK MEASURES—ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS) BILL 2011
In Committee
Database Senate Hansard
Date 24-03-2011
Source Senate
Parl No. 43
Electorate Queensland
Interjector Hutchins, Sen Steve (The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN)
Marshall, Sen Gavin (The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN)
TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN, The
Page 1911
Party NATS
Status Final
Speaker Joyce, Sen Barnaby
Stage In Committee
Context Bills
System Id chamber/hansards/2011-03-24/0336

NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK COMPANIES BILL 2010 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK MEASURES—ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS) BILL 2011 - In Committee


Senator JOYCE (Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (11:56 AM) —I agree with you that the issue is about wireless, satellite and fibre, but it is not an argument about physics—it is an argument about economics and commerce. If you are there for part of that group called the Satellite Group, which is almost exclusively in regional areas, it stands to reason—using your own argument of physics—that someone in Sydney will probably not want to use the satellite when they have fibre. It means that those people who are using the satellite are out in the regional areas and you can discriminate against them. You can charge them whatever you like and say, ‘It’s all unit pricing for you on satellite, it’s just that it’s at a price you can’t afford. It’s all the same. We’re being completely and utterly fair—the whole lot of you can’t afford it’ or, going to wireless, ‘We’re being completely fair. We’re making sure that we touch the whole lot of you, not just a section—the whole lot.’

We have to discuss whether, in the delivery of satellite and wireless, it is going to be at a cost they can afford. You have said—damned by your own words—that we now have three products, not one. We have three products and unit pricing on each of those singular products. You can go to the product that looks after regional areas and do whatever you like to them and still be within the power of your act, saying ‘It’s a unit price, but it’s just not a unit price you can afford.’


The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Senator Marshall)—Just before I put the amendments, I will explain to senators that the set of amendments have to be put in two separate ways. The first omits proposed subsections, so in order to support that set of amendments the question I am about to put needs to be opposed. On that basis, the question I put before the chamber is that the proposed subsections set out in amendments (1) to (5) and (14) to (18) on sheet 7038 stand as printed.

Question negatived.


The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN —The question is that amendments (6) to (13) and (19) to (24) on sheet 7038 be agreed to.

Question agreed to.