Senator FIFIELD (Victoria—Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Assistant Minister for Social Services) (14:54): Mr President— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Fifield, just resume your seat. When there is silence, we will proceed. We might need to conduct an investigation as to what was in the water today. A number of people on both sides seem to be a little excited. Senator FIFIELD: Thank you, Mr President. The question was the key barriers to holding back access to the internet in Australia, and I can give the answer in two words: Senator Conroy. If we were to think for a moment that Senator Conroy had decided to stop being an impediment to good policy, we would have been disabused of that in the communications estimates hearing last week. We are all aware of Senator Conroy's contribution in the Defence estimates, but he got limbered up before that in the communications estimates where he accused prominent, distinguished Australian Dr Ziggy Switkowski of being a liar. Shame, Senator Conroy, shame! As to the barriers over the last two years to internet access: Senator Conroy has been amongst the most prominent. There was his handling of the NBN network, his inability to face the truth— Senator Conroy interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Conroy! Senator FIFIELD: Thank you, Mr President. Senator Conroy, as we know, has mishandled the NBN. He has been incapable of facing the truth. And what that means is that this government inherited not just the financial mess but also a company that failed to make inroads in improving broadband services in Australia. The NBN has not just failed in the rollout of fibre, with less than three per cent of premises connected after six years of Labor. There is also the interim satellite scheme, where $351 million has been spent delivering dial-up speeds. Labor's handling of the NBN is being revealed progressively as a financial scandal, as we know, because of the billions wasted, and as a political scandal because of the misrepresentation by those opposite before the last election. As the various reviews and audits come out, more will be revealed. But what is clear is that the NBN scandal under Senator Conroy dwarfs the likes of the State Bank debacle in Victoria, the Bank of South Australia— (Time expired)