Senator McGRATH (Queensland—Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) (11:51): I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator McGRATH: The Australian government recognises the importance of affordable access to telecommunications. By rolling out the NBN more quickly and at less cost, millions of Australians now have vastly approved access to high-speed broadband, but the economic reality of building a new generation network means that somebody does have to pay for it. The government has worked to ensure that Australians will pay less for the internet than would have been the case if the previous Labor government's model had been pursued. Through the government's incremental upgrade approach to the rollout, better broadband will be delivered across Australia six years sooner than would have been the case otherwise, at $30 billion less cost to taxpayers and without the need for home internet bills to climb by more than $500 a year. Question negatived.