22 June 2016
EO&E.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Hello and welcome to another look at our local federal election run in Bendigo. We’re very fortunate today to have with us the Federal Senator, Senator Mitch Fifield welcome Mitch.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Good to be here Denis.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Now, you wear a few hats Mitch. You are Minister for Communications and also the Arts?
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s right.
DENIS ENGLISH:
You are also, what, Patron Senator for Bendigo? what does that mean?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, it means that there’s a person in the Federal Parliament, a Liberal representative, who can help support the local area and be a voice for them, in an area where there isn’t a lower house Liberal member of parliament.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Oh I see, that’s how it works. It’s covering us really for not having a federal Liberal member…
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s right, yeah, that’s right.
DENIS ENGLISH:
You’re moving around a lot, and we know you’re here in Bendigo today to support Megan Purcell. In your movements around, there’s a lot of discussion about the voter apathy, the level of voter apathy in Australia at the moment – people just generally being cheesed off with people saying they’re going to do this and either not doing this or doing the opposite when they’re in office. Is that something you’re experiencing in meeting people? And I use an example, 2010 the reports I have indicate that three million Australians who were entitled to vote, failed to vote that’s terrible in a country this size. Is that something you can explain? Why are people so cheesed off with politics?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, I look at it in a more positive light. We actually have very high levels of voter engagement in Australia compared to comparable democracies. Take the United States, where typically, you will only have thirty percent of people voting in a national election. Now sure, we have compulsory voting in Australia but we have a very high level of community engagement. Sure, there will be people who are cheesed off with one side or the other or all parties in politics but I’m constantly heartened, as I move around the community talking to people, about their degree of interest in the future of the country. So, I’ve got to say I’m someone who’s very positive.
DENIS ENGLISH:
I can’t remember who I spoke to at this level at the time Mitch, but you’ve said to call me Mitch so I’m not being disrespectful there I hope…
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s my name.
DENIS ENGLISH:
That’s your name. Yeah, but I remember saying at one point, who was going to cop the poison chalice of Communications in the Turnbull government, given all the trouble around the NBN. Now in Bendigo we’ve been left high-and-dry. We have Shepparton and Ballarat, we’re dead centre right in the middle of the state, why has Bendigo missed out and what are you doing, and what can you do if you return to government, to fix that?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Sure, look you’re right when we came into government the NBN was essentially a failed project. When Malcolm Turnbull became the Minister for Communications what he discovered was that, nationwide, despite Labor having been in office for six years, despite them spending six-and-a-half billion dollars on the NBN there were only fifty-one thousand people who they had connected to the NBN. In Bendigo, there were only seventy-seven people who had connected to the NBN. That’s after six years and six-and-a-half billion dollars. Labor were actually meant to have a million people hooked up to the NBN by the end of 2013. So they missed their own rollout targets by about eighty-three percent. And so badly managed was the project that contractors to NBN had downed tools in four states. So, it was essentially a failed project and Malcolm Turnbull had to bring order to where there was chaos. And, as a result of the approach that Malcolm took where he put in place a new chair, a new board, a new management with a new attitude and a new mandate today nationwide there are now 2.6 million Australians who can hook up to the NBN. That’s about a quarter of all premises; by this time next year around half of all premises nationwide will be able to access the NBN, and by 2020 the entire nation will be covered. Now, Bendigo…
DENIS ENGLISH:
I was wondering, with Bendigo, specifically?
MITCH FIFIELD:
With Bendigo, it is certainly not as far advanced as some other communities but it’s further advanced than a lot of other communities in Victoria and around the nation. So, I said that when we came into office there were only 77 people who were actually hooked up to the NBN, that’s now 5000 people in the Bendigo electorate who are hooked up to the NBN. There are 11,000 people in total who can access the NBN in the electorate of Bendigo should they choose to do so. There’s 5,000 premises that are currently under construction, and between now and September 2018, there’ll be about another 60,000 premises that will either be able to access the NBN or that will be under construction. So, we have dramatically increased the rollout of the NBN nationwide. Given ultimately we’ve got to connect about 12 million premises around the nation, it’s got to be done in a staged way. It can’t be done everywhere at the same time. But the good news is that through our approach, the NBN will be completed 6-8 years sooner than would have been the case under the approach of our predecessors. So, it’s coming, it’s coming at a pace
DENIS ENGLISH:
It’s coming, yep. It’s the letters in the mail in a way?
MITCH FIFIELD:
No, no it’s, just to give you an example. As I said before, Labor in six years connected 51,000 premises. We did 10,000 more than that nationwide in the last month alone. NBN now is rolling out about sixty-odd thousand premises each and every month.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Well I’ll ask you that, we’ve had Senator Conroy sit there when this was all go, go, go I think it was only a couple of days actually before the Gillard thing happened. Now, is it, could it be said, that perhaps Senator Conroy bit off more than he could chew in terms of a great idea with a lot of money involved (so great technology, great for Australia) but it’s come at a time where we can’t afford it as a nation and you’ve coped it because everyone has an expectation now that this is going to happen. Given our economic situation as a country, is it too big for us to deliver with the current level of expectation?
MITCH FIFIELD:
No, it’s not too big.
DENIS ENGLISH:
So it’s achievable and affordable?
MITCH FIFIELD:
It’s achievable and it’s affordable under the approach that we’re taking. And people will actually get it, people were going to be waiting years and years and years at least to 2026, possibly 2028 under Labor, to get the NBN. So, it is coming to people a darn sight sooner than would have been the case under our predecessors. And locally, Labor are holding out some false hope. They’ve essentially looked at those areas that were going to get NBN, fibre-to-the-node, in this electorate in 2017 and they’ve said “oh, don’t worry you can all have fibre-to-the-premise in 2017”. But what Labor haven’t told the people of Bendigo is that when they were scheduled to get fibre-to-the-node in 2017, they will have to wait a number of years to get fibre-to-the-premises. Because the planning work will have to be done. The rollout of fibre-to-the-node will have to be put on hold. Also with fibre-to-the-premises, people have their front yards dug up. So, Labor are holding out a false hope. Under Labor, people will wait many years longer in Bendigo to get the NBN than they would under our rollout.
DENIS ENGLISH:
We’re a sizeable community here, and outside Geelong arguably the central hub in Victoria put in regional terms, so it’s important we have a great hospital and education level and facility. If I look at it, and I look at, say, a place like Rockhampton similar in size, they’ve copped some flack because out laying areas rely on satellite delivery of NBN, and equivalent services, a lot of flack this morning on ABC’s AM Program around the fact that people are complaining the data allowances not sufficient and the cost of the data is too great. Are we going to see the same problem here in outer laying areas around Bendigo? Or, is that a concern to you Minister, sorry, as a Minister?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Look, we take what we call a multi-technology mix approach, which means some areas will have fibre-to-the-premise, some will have fibre-to-the-node, in some of the capital cities we’re using some of the existing pay-tv cables the HFC network, in some urban fringe areas we’re using fixed wireless which is a terrific, terrific service. But for about 200,000 premises in regional and remote areas, the NBN will be delivered by way of satellite. I think satellite has got a bad reputation as a result of the previous government’s interim satellite service where they simply didn’t purchase enough capacity on satellite to service the need.
DENIS ENGLISH
Is that something you can overcome, you’re confident?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Yeah well, that interim satellite service was a shocker. So, those who’ve been on it have a jaundiced view of satellite. With Sky Muster, people are going to get good download speeds, people are going to get 25 mega-bit per second download speeds. They’ll be able to have a monthly data allowance of 150 gigabytes so that’s important. But also for uses such as distance education, we’re not going to expect those to come out of the household data allowance. There will be a separate allocation of 50 gigabytes per child, up to three kids. So that’ll be a separate port. So, we’re making sure that there’s good allowance for data. That there are good speeds. And those who have hooked up to it, I think, will find it’s a really good service. And we did hear on AM this morning, you’re right, someone say that actually the Sky Muster service is a heck of a lot better than what they’ve experienced before. So, it’s a good service, and I think that people when they’re hooked up will find that it does suit their needs.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Couple of quick things to finish off with Mitch: our local Federal Member Lucy Chesters made an announcement recently that she had secured a commitment for $21 million roughly for the ABC with a focus on delivering women’s sport and content around that, in particular with a focus on women. And, for example, it went over really well here in Bendigo, because we’ve got the Bendigo Spirit, the ladies basketball team, national, I mean my daughter could play at the national level, and people could see those games whether they’re in Townsville or wherever they are. So, great news for Bendigo in one way. I’ve had Malcolm Turnbull sit there when he was wearing the same portfolio you are now and he said what a great thing this is we’re doing I can’t figure out why $21 million would be thrown at the ABC, which is what would happen 20 years ago in technology terms, when you’ve got home-grown product like an IPTV service like this that channel 31’s are moving across to now. Is there any logic there, and what can you offer as an alternative to that? Like, that kind of money, 5% of would see us run for a couple of years and do everything locally
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well the ABC is an organisation that we give $3.1 billion to over the next three years. Labor said that they would give them a bit of extra money for women’s sport. There’s absolutely nothing to stop the ABC at the moment from within their $3.1 billion over the next three years from purchasing the rights to women’s sporting events. That’s entirely something that’s available to them at the moment. A lot of the commercial networks have of late purchased some significant women’s sporting events. So this is something that can happen now. There doesn’t need to be additional supplementation to the ABC.
DENIS ENGLISH:
The distinction I guess I’m getting at Mitch though is this: the ABC have already indicated there’s no commitment whatsoever as I understand it to run this on mainstream free-to-air TV which is almost like an old dinosaur anyway, fading away you can see that happening right across the country. But, from my point of view they’re saying it may well run online through the ABC options there, iview or whatever it is, we’re already doing that; we’re the first in Australia to do it. I just do not get how Malcolm Turnbull and he actually held this up on ABC and talked to Fran Kelly on national radio look at the wonderful things they’re doing at Bendigo IPTV, yet we’re overlooked, everyone talks about the innovation nation whether it’s Liberal or Labor, same story, but no support in terms of funding or any real commitment to developing local jobs in the creative and the arts areas, which I know you wear that hat as well. How can you see any scope there for supporting technology like this when the networks are becoming so city-centric under this new media regime?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well women’s sport, which is the subject that we’re talking about…
DENIS ENGLISH:
Well I’m speaking generally about it.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Yes but just finishing off on that, it’s important. Women’s sport wants to be valued like other sports. So, when you’ve got big national competitions they want the right to be able to sell their product and to get a return on their product. I think they should have that right. Well, the Opposition’s proposition is that that money would be used by the ABC to purchase those rights. But, women’s sporting organisations they want to be recognised for what they are. And they want their commercial rights to be purchased accordingly. Now, as I was saying, ABC $3.1 billion over three years. Nothing to stop them doing that at the moment. The commercials are certainly availing themselves of that. But you’re right, there’s community media, which is another avenue for sharing…
DENIS ENGLISH:
And is that something you can see a Coalition government if returned supporting? Like you’ve had licence rebates and things for the mainstream guys and as I’ve said, here in Bendigo, the way things are set up now, we’re going to have one TV station, two radio stations and the main newspaper all owned or operated by the same group out of Sydney with only sales teams here effectively.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, the community media is one of the ways that you can ensure that there is diversity and that consumers do have a choice. And one of the great things about new technology is that the costs of sharing material are substantially reduced compared to the old styles of broadcasting of radio and TV.
DENIS ENGLISH:
You’ve only got to look at where we are today and how we’re doing this compared to how the big boys would do it.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Yes that’s right.
DENIS ENGLISH:
So, is it technology that you believe in Mitch? Like do you see this as the future, and worthy of government support though?
MITCH FIFIELD:
One of the reasons why I’m looking to reform media law, is because the media laws that we have, which essentially were intended to stop concentration of ownership and thereby make sure there’s diversity. Well, those media laws only apply to commercial radio, commercial TV and newspapers. Those media laws don’t recognise that the internet and other forms of new media exist. So, I want to get rid of those media laws that are outdated so that organisations can configure themselves in the ways that best suit them. And one of the reasons why we’re confident that that’s a good approach is because there are so many different forms of media available to people that diversity, or lack of, is less of a concern.
DENIS ENGLISH:
One final question Mitch: in the Age Online today, there’s a report suggesting that 80% of people, respondents to a survey, have indicated their primary concern going into this election is in fact the state of the economy and the national debt. Now, that’s my view too, certainly I feel that way, but I don’t know whether that’s reflective of the majority of 80% of the whole population but that’s the report. I guess I look back at somebody like you, and I think you spent 7 or 8 years or something working as an advisor for Peter Costello do you miss those good old days when we were in a situation where we didn’t have the debt we have now and what’s preventing us from moving forward, for our kids and our grandchildren, to give them a country, the way that it was bequeathed to the electorate then, back then?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, I think Peter Costello did an incredible job paying off $96 billion of Labor’s debt. He left us debt free. And to watch that year after year, over six years of Labor, budget deficits return and debts start to rack-up again, breaks your heart.
DENIS ENGLISH:
People will say, now I’m only trying to be fair, people will say, I know one guy in particular would say straightaway “yeah but they sold a lot of assets”. I mean is there a way for us to trade out of where we are now? Drawing on your experiences back then with Howard and Costello?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, look we’ve got to live within our means. Firstly, in terms of the budgeting. But what we’ve also got to do is to grow the economy. And that’s why we have our plan for jobs and growth. And I think in a time of economic transition, Australians are looking for a government that has a plan. We do. And it’s interesting that our political opponents now have completely given up talking about a plan, or having any pretext of a plan. Instead they’re spending each and every day now lying about things that they say we’re going to do, or things we’re going to privatise. We’ve got a plan. They don’t. They’re scare-mongering, we want to get on with the business of helping to grow the economy, create jobs so that we’re in a position to pay down debt and get ourselves back into balance.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Mitch, thank you so much for being so forthright and I’ve enjoyed the conversation, the quality of the conversation, I’ve appreciated the way you’ve tackled it. Good luck for the rest of the campaign, we’ll see where we end up and if you end up Communications Minister in a Coalition government, we’ll look forward to a maybe having a cup of coffee or a catch up and talk about this new technology. Thanks so much for taking the time of day.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Terrific, thank you.
DENIS ENGLISH:
Thank you for joining us today as well and we’ll look forward to continuing to bring you updated information on the election in Bendigo, in terms of federal election, as we move towards the end of the year. So thanks again for joining us today, and we’ll see you again next week.
Ends