Senator SMITH (Western Australia) (18:13): On the issue of broadband in Tasmania, the perspective of a Western Australia Liberal Party senator can be trusted. Labor is clutching at fibre straws. Let's go to the beginning. Let's go back in time to 2009. You would know it better than me. What did Kevin Rudd and Senator Conroy say? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Boyce ): I am sorry, Senator Smith, you need to refer to current members and former members by their correct name and title. Senator SMITH: It is a pleasure to call the former member for Griffith and former Prime Minister 'former'. Indeed, if Senator Conroy were proud of his Tasmanian experiment, he would be here. He has left you hanging out. I only have a limited amount of time and I have a lot of material to get through. Opposition senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Members on my left; Senators! Senator SMITH: This is not a laughing matter and I would like an opportunity to put my case. I have been sitting here diligently— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Just proceed, Senator Smith. Senator SMITH: So what did the former Prime Minister say about the National Broadband Network? He said: 'Like the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this is a historic act of nation building.' You should be very grateful that he did not get to complete it. I would like to introduce you to the strategic review document that was released in December. If you have not had a chance to read it, you should. It is a very sorry tale. Let me jump ahead, because of limited time. If you were genuinely interested in broadband access to Tasmanians you would be talking about the Interim Satellite Service, which is a disgrace. Those Tasmanians living in remote and regional communities have been failed by Labor. Senator Polley: You have no credibility at all. Opposition senators interjecting— Senator SMITH: Do you know about the interim satellite solution? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Smith, please address you remarks to the chair. Would the senators on the left please allow the senator to speak in silence. As you know, Senator Smith is not allowed to ask you questions, so please do not respond to them. Senator SMITH: The Interim Satellite Service is a very important issue and goes to the people I represent, as a Western Australian senator; they are those electors across regional Australia—not just in Tasmania but also in Western Australia. Here is a very brief history lesson. In 2011 when the Interim Satellite Service was launched, 165,000 households and businesses were told they were eligible. That probably sounds fair enough, except that the satellite only had capacity for 48,000. So why was the minister for communications, Senator Conroy, not telling the truth? Then again, in early 2013, the former government—of which you were all members—said that the number of eligible households and businesses that could get the Interim Satellite Service would rise to 250,000 off the same satellite that still only had capacity for 48,000. Opposition senators interjecting — Senator SMITH: You should be grateful you live in Tasmania, because I will share with you what happened in Western Australia. If you read the strategic review, you will discover that the National Broadband Network, under your former government, passed just 55 per cent of the almost 846,000 that were detailed in the corporate plan. Do you know what that is? Guess what percentage of the total rollout that is—three. There was just three per cent of the total rollout under your plan. There is much to be embarrassed about. But let us talk about Western Australia. Of the 335,000 premises passed in this country under the NBN, under your guidance, guess how many were passed in Western Australia—just 16,000. Guess how that compares with Tasmania—30,000. We have something to complain about; you have little to complain about. Of the 16,000 that were actually activated in Western Australia, guess how many were activated at existing premises—guess how many of 16,000— (Time expired)