THE federal opposition has slammed claims from the government that Labor is attempting to clean up the coalition "communications mess" by investing $480 million into fixing NBN connections in regional areas.
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In late march, the then Liberal-National government announced an identical investment of $480 million in the 2022-23 federal budget to improve the quality of NBN Co's fixed wireless and satellite networks.
However, after losing the June election, the current Labor government has promised to commit the same.
Opposition communications spokesperson Sarah Henderson said Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters' claims on Tuesday were "laughable".
"The only broadband plan Labor has for the NBN fixed wireless and satellite network is to adopt, under the cover of darkness, the Coalition's plan," she said.
Ms Henderson also called out Communications Minister Michelle Rowland's claims earlier in the week.
"In announcing that this $480 million investment is the 'first major milestone' delivered under Labor's plan for rural and regional Australia, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has blatantly misled Australians," she said.
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Ms Henderson argued the current government record on providing for the regions was negligible.
"When Labor was last in government, it connected just 51,000 users to the NBN and failed to fix a single mobile black spot," she said.
In September 2020, former communications minister Paul Fletcher announced an additional $3.5 billion in NBN Co funding "in response to increased demand for faster speeds".
All up, after nine years in government, the coalition spent an additional $12 million on the NBN, but regional users are still struggling to connect.
Regardless of whose idea the latest NBN investment is, Labor's challenge now is to deliver on its election promise to equalise the country's connection playing field.
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