Senator COLBECK (Tasmania—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) (15:06): If that is supposed to be a confidence booster for Senator Conroy after the debacle of his disgraceful performance in Senate estimates last week, he has a long way to go to redeem himself. In regard to some of Senator Conroy's comments in respect of Tasmania and the Tasmanian economy, if you want to see an economy that has been devastated by the Labor Party, in partnership with the Greens, have a look at the Tasmanian economy. Tasmania, whose economy has been absolutely done over by the Labor Party over recent years in government, particularly in partnership with the Greens, both at a federal and a state level, is the state that shows how not to operate. Senator Conroy talks about NBN contractors in trouble in Tasmania. I will tell you why they are in trouble in Tasmania: it is because of the rates they were offered under Senator Conroy's contracts to construct the NBN, rates at which they could not make any money. That is why the contractors have problems. They invested tens of thousands of dollars in equipment to build the NBN and then they could not make money. Then of course there is the issue of asbestos in pits that Senator Conroy did not contemplate. Talk about a debacle, a mess, that was left behind by Senator Conroy in the previous government and the destruction of the Tasmanian economy by the Labor Party in combination with the Greens over the last four years. Senator Conroy has absolutely no idea. If that is supposed to be a confidence boost with his return after last week, I can tell you it is a pretty poor effort. With respect to the comments Senator Conroy made about Senator Bushby's commitments in Tasmania, what the coalition committed to in Tasmania was to meet the NBN contract. The issue that we have in Tasmania, as I have just been saying, is that the contractor does not want to meet the contract because they cannot make any money out of the rates that they were forced into under the NBN deal. Senator Conroy tries to portray this as a breach of promise by the coalition, yet it is a failure of the previous government in their set-up of the NBN and a complete misrepresentation of what was going to be offered to the Tasmanian people as part of their rollout of the NBN. It is a complete and utter failure. With respect to the issue of the day—that is, Qantas—the Labor Party just do not get it. They expect a 21st century business to run on last-century regulation. Senator Kim Carr interjecting— Senator COLBECK: Senator Kim John Carr should listen to what is being said here— Opposition senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Use the correct title, Senator Colbeck. Senator COLBECK: Mr Deputy President, it is his correct title. That is his correct name. I am using his full name in the context of this debate. Senators can jump to their comrade's defence; I am using Senator Carr's correct title. I acknowledge the standing orders about the use of a correct title and I am using his correct title. The Labor Party could do very well to look at what is happening. They expect a 21st century airline to run on regulation of last century. They expect— Senator Kim Carr: China Southern will fix it for you. Senator COLBECK: You might like to go back to those days, Senator Carr. Senator Carr and the Labor Party want a 21st century airline to run on a regulatory environment of last century. They talk a lot about the 21st century and policy for the 21st century, but, when it comes to application, what do they do? They continue to do what they have done in the past; they continue to apply cost and regulation to industry and expect it to thrive. That is the policy of the Labor Party. They will not even listen to people from their own side of politics who understand how the economy works—people like the former member Mr Ferguson who has a commercial understanding— Senator Sterle: Isn't he singing for his supper now! Senator COLBECK: Senator Sterle, I have to say: I have always had a lot of respect for Mr Ferguson because he understands the commercial world. He is not lost in the past. If you look at what is happening in the Labor Party right now, you will see it will be a long time before any industry or business in this country is going to get any sensible policy out of the Labor Party, because they are still lost in the last century. Despite talking about policy for the 21st century, they are nowhere near it. (Time expired)