Interview with Geoff Hutchison - 720 ABC Perth Mornings

Transcript of The Hon. Paul Fletcher MP

Interview with Geoff Hutchison

720 ABC Perth Mornings

31 October 2013

E&OE

Topics: National Broadband Network
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GEOFF HUTCHISON:

But back to the story of the NBN and what the map looks like, what is the plan, what is the construction phase? Paul Fletcher is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and has been waiting very patiently. Paul, good morning to you.

PAUL FLETCHER:

Good morning, Geoff.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

Paul, what kind of reassurance might you give to people who will have known that they were on a list of suburbs apparently earmarked for the NBN and that that is now being shifted to a to be advised list?

PAUL FLETCHER:

Well, the reassurance that we can give people is that the information that NBN Co is now putting out is accurate and transparent following changes to the company's policy at the request of the new Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and unfortunately that wasn't the position before the election. Under the previous Government, NBN Co had informed the Government that rather than, as its plan said, getting to 1.13 million premises by June 30 2014, the number was going to be 500,000 lower. The Labor Party knew that throughout the election and didn't tell the Australian people, so what we have asked NBN Co to do is to be more transparent. So they've now started reporting every week the actual number of premises passed, and that's information that was previously only provided quarterly.

But we've also asked them to use a definition of where construction has commenced in the network, which meets commonsense, because previously they treated premises as ones being in an area where the build had commenced when only high level design work had been done. So, what has happened is that the company has now put up maps which reflect the accurate definition of an area where construction has commenced, and if you're in that area in the maps that are available on NBN's website you can rely on that information. That is the best and most accurate information the company has that it has provided to the Government and we're asking it to share with the Australian people.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

Okay. And this is the argument, too, that the previous Government on this issue of the NBN over-promised and so far had undelivered. Now, the second part of that is, though, if I live in East Victoria Park or Kewdale or Lathlain or Burswood or Como or South Perth or Secret Harbour or any of those places, I still was of the belief that the NBN would arrive at my place. By taking those place of that list, and as you say they're more realistic about where things are at, are you also sending a message that says, don't get your hopes up because we can't guarantee that you will be getting fibre to the home?

PAUL FLETCHER:

Well, no. What we're saying to the Australian people is, this is the accurate information. So, if I take the Applecross area, there is construction underway. The build has commenced in the Ardross area and that is what the map shows, but there were a range of other areas around Ardross, such as Mount Pleasant and so on, where construction had not commenced according to a common sense definition, so we've said to the company, we don't think you should be showing that as an area where construction has commenced, and they've applied this new standard.

So, what we are doing is giving the Australian people accurate information about where construction has commenced. At the same time, consistent with the policy we took to the election, we are now conducting a strategic review to look at how we are going to roll out the network in the future. And so that review is underway and then once that's completed we will have more detailed information to provide about the way forward.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

Paul Fletcher is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications. It's 28 minutes to 12. So, it's not an indication of anything other than the actual status of the build to this point?

PAUL FLETCHER:

That's correct.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

Okay.

PAUL FLETCHER:

And that's the principle we've asked the company to follow.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

All right. Now, the review. Is there a timeframe for the review, because this is, obviously, early stages of your Government, but there is a great deal of interest to know whether indeed Mr Turnbull and the Government seeks to continue to pursue fibre-to-the-node or fibre to the home. How long will it be before you have a clear policy picture on the direction in which you will take the NBN?

PAUL FLETCHER:

Well, we've said that the review is scheduled to report in early December. Now, as soon as we can give more specific information we will do so. That will be - I'm not necessarily committing - but as at early December we will have definitive information, in fact, very likely we won't given the complexity of this issue. But what this is about is setting a clear strategic direction for the company as to the mix of fibre to the premises and fibre-to-the-node. We said in opposition we expected that the network would be largely fibre-to-the-node based on the information we had at that time.

We're obviously now going through a process of validating that, testing all the options with a new executive chairman and board in place, and that's the team - the executive chairman and board and management are conducting that review with the assistance of some expert consultants. But it will be a review conducted by the company, and it will be the company bringing forward its new strategic direction consistent with the principles the Government has set out and what has been laid down in the statement of expectations, an interim statement of expectations, that has been issued to the company by Malcolm Turnbull as Minister for Communications and Mathias Cormann as Minister for Finance.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

I appreciate your explanation, Paul Fletcher. Wendy in East Victoria Park has just called in with an observation and a question. I wonder if you might be in a position to assist her with an answer. Wendy, good morning. Hello, Wendy? Wendy has got her radio on, which does make this harder. I'm going to pop Wendy back. We will leave it there for now, Mr Fletcher. Thank you very much for talking to us.

PAUL FLETCHER:

Thanks indeed, Geoff.

GEOFF HUTCHISON:

Paul Fletcher is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications.

ENDS

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