Turnbull back to 'demolish' NBN

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott - vowing to "demolish" Labor on broadband policy - has
resurrected Malcolm Turnbull for what he sees as the key political issue of the next
18 months.
Announcing his new shadow ministry on Tuesday, Mr Abbott returned the former
opposition leader to the frontbench to serve as the coalition's communications and
broadband spokesman.
In what was clearly a tactic aimed at stealing Prime Minister Julia Gillard's
thunder, Mr Abbott announced his team as the new federal ministry was being sworn in
at Government House in Canberra.
Only an hour earlier, Ms Gillard had been sworn in as Australia's first elected
female prime minister.
Mr Abbott, who has promised a more formidable opposition in the coming term,
announced a number of changes but largely kept the old guard in place in what he
said would provide renewal and stability.
"It is a strong and experienced team that will hold a weak and incompetent
government to account," Mr Abbott said.
The return of Mr Turnbull was the centrepiece of Mr Abbott's changes with the
opposition leader declaring there was no better person to prosecute the coalition's
case against the $43 billion national broadband network (NBN).
"This is going to be the absolute focus of the political battle over the next 18
months or so," Mr Abbott said.
"The national broadband network will be to this term of government what pink batts
and school halls were in the last term of government.
"Who better to hold the government to account here than Malcolm Turnbull ... who has
the technical expertise and business experience to entirely demolish the government
on this issue."
Mr Abbott signalled the coalition would also continue to target Labor on the mining
tax and asylum seekers.
The coalition took a $6 billion patchwork broadband policy to the election compared
to Labor's $43 billion NBN plan but it was widely criticised after it fell short of
Labor's plan in terms of internet speeds and reach to Australian households.
Mr Turnbull, who was a founder of internet company OzEmail, said the debate over the
NBN was not a question of whether people supported broadband but about the potential
waste of billions of dollars.
"Where is any of the evidence that would justify this investment," Mr Turnbull told
ABC Radio on Tuesday evening.
Labor has been repeatedly attacked by the opposition and Greens for failing to
provide a cost-benefit analysis for the project.
"The fact is that the probability is that if the government goes ahead with this it
will spend $43 billion and, in my judgment, end up with an asset worth somewhere
between a half and a quarter of that amount," Mr Turnbull said.
The coalition will line up with the same economic team with Joe Hockey retained as
shadow treasurer and Andrew Robb as finance spokesman.
Sussan Ley has been given employment participation in place of Mathias Cormann who
has been promoted to shadow assistant treasurer, while Bronwyn Bishop will be the
new shadow minister of state, replacing Michael Ronaldson.
Other changes include Stuart Robert becoming spokesman for defence science,
technology and personnel in place of Bob Baldwin, while Brett Mason has been
promoted to universities and research spokesman as part of the coalition's education
policy team.
The coalition reshuffle follows changes announced by Ms Gillard to her team on
Saturday.
She also undertook some 11th hour tinkering on Tuesday morning after being
criticised for failing to appoint an indigenous health minister and for splitting up
the education portfolio.
On the coalition's side: Steve Ciobo has been dumped from tourism and replaced by Mr
Baldwin while Tony Smith has been demoted from communications to junior spokesman on
tax reform.
"Inevitably, one person's elation is someone else's disappointment," Mr Abbott said.
"It just means that there is something of the quality of snakes and ladders about
the business of politics."