THE HON JASON CLARE MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS

MICHELLE ROWLAND MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS

MEDIA RELEASE

A YEAR OF BROKEN PROMISES ON THE NBN

The first year of the Abbott Government has been full of broken promises on the National Broadband Network.

Before the election, the Prime Minister said –

“Under the Coalition, by 2016…there will be minimum download speeds of 25 megabits… We will deliver a minimum of 25 megabits…by the end of our first term.”

That promise didn’t last a year. They announced they would break that promise before Christmas.

Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull also promised that the NBN would be rolled out “sooner” and “faster” but we now know that the NBN is rolling out slower now than it was before the election.

In the 10 weeks prior to the election, the NBN rollout was passing an average of 4,290 brownfields premises per week. During the last 10 weeks, the average has plummeted to about 2,900 premises per week.

Before the election Malcolm Turnbull also promised an independent cost benefit analysis.

Three weeks before the 2013 election he promised that Infrastructure Australia would do this work. He said –

“We are going to do a rigorous analysis; we will get Infrastructure Australia to do an independent cost benefit analysis.”

He has also broken that promise. Instead he got former Liberal Party staff and former advisers to write the report that he wanted.

These are not the only promises Malcolm Turnbull has broken since the election.

He promised that NBN Co would pass 450,000 brownfields premises with fibre by the 30th of June 2014 – he broke that promise.

He promised to have build contracts issued for 150,000 premises by February 2014 – he broke that promise.

He promised that the Telstra renegotiations would be complete “by the middle of the year” – he broke that promise.

Over the last year, all we have had from Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull on the NBN is broken promises and excuses.

The NBN is rolling out slower now than it was before the election and Australians are still in the dark about whether they will get Labor’s superfast NBN or the Coalition’s second rate version.

Malcolm Turnbull should build the NBN, not break it.

For more information about the broken promises and lies of the Abbott Government’s first year in office, go to www.abbottslies.com.au

SUNDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 2014