Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I thank Senator Cannon for allowing me to do this, because I have another appointment to keep.

I welcome the Minister to the House, but I am very disappointed with the amendment, particularly its wording. It states that it commends the Government on its positive interventions and that it continues to improve. It seems our aim is to come in 17th. Can anybody picture us sending a team to the Olympics with an ambition to finish 17th? I am stunned that the Government did not submit something more positive than this. I do not believe the Minister even looked at the amendment, because we are a disgrace.

The recent opposition party in Australia — which is now in power — was in no doubt that the tardy and incomplete roll out of broadband was a severe obstacle to that country's progress. The outgoing Government suffered for it and it was one of many definite reasons it lost the election. There is no adequate broadband coverage of any kind outside the main population areas in Australia, which is rather similar to ourselves. However, this amendment seeks to commend the Government on its positive interventions such as supporting the construction of metropolitan area networks. We have so far to go, yet we are not getting anywhere near the finish.

I welcome the motion and I commend Senator Ross on bringing it forward. As a long-time champion of broadband, I must admit that I did not expect the motion to produce anything more than another blast of hot air from the direction of the Government benches. For those who still do not see the light of day about broadband, I suggest they consider the Australian experience. Just like in this country, a know-it-all government enjoyed more than 11 years of unprecedented power, yet during those 11 years it failed to grasp the reality that its country would need an effective broadband network to equip itself adequately for the future. At the end of the day, the Australian Government paid the price for its refusal to face up to the future and its demands. It was swept ignominiously out of power, with even the Prime Minister himself losing his parliamentary seat. I suggest the Taoiseach be reminded of this and that it was one of three reasons the outgoing Australian Government agreed it lost power. Is that an omen for what is in store for this country if the Government continues to compound its failure on broadband? I suggest it bears thinking about. The Government has failed us miserably. Ten years ago we talked here about the opportunity and ambition to become the technology hub of Europe as Singapore was the hub of the Far East. Now we are rated 17th out of 27 for our broadband and we are asked to commend the Government on it. This is a great motion to have before us and I hope it will be a wake-up call for the Government. I have every confidence that Deputy Ryan will shake us up and do something about it. He is the right person in the right position but we must see some action.