Conroy slams NBN raid as ‘shameful attack on Parliament’

THE Australian Federal Police is about to swoop on Parliament House as part of its investigations into leaks over the controversial NBN.

The Australian Federal Police is expected to swoop on Parliament House this morning.

LABOR frontbencher Stephen Conroy is again waiting for the police to swoop.

Senator Conroy today said he had been told by the Australian Federal Police it would raid the Department of Parliamentary Services in Parliament House this morning.

The aim of what he called a “shameful attack on Parliament” was to get access to the emails of Labor staff members.

It follows extraordinary raids on Senator Conroy’s Melbourne office and the home of a Labor staffer in May during the election campaign as part of an investigation into the leaking of sensitive information from the National Broadband Network.

“Parliamentary privilege ensures Parliament is able to do its job without interference by the executive. It protects the right of the Parliament, on behalf of all Australians, to scrutinise waste and maladministration, even when the truth embarrasses the government,” Senator Conroy said today.

A former Labor spokesman on communications, Senator Conroy blames Prime Minister (and former communications minister) Malcolm Turnbull for the police attention and argues NBN Co doesn’t have a right to Commonwealth protection.

Senator Stephen Conroy has called the raid a ‘shameful attack on Parliament’. Picture by Kym Smith

He claims NBN Co wants “to cover up Malcolm Turnbull’s gross mismanagement of the National Broadband Network”.

“Under Mr Turnbull, the NBN has been beset by lengthy delays and cost blowouts. In fact, the cost of the Mr Turnbull’s second-rate copper NBN has nearly doubled to up to $56 billion,” he said in a statement today.

“This is a shameful attempt by Malcolm Turnbull to hide his incompetent administration of the NBN.

“It is an extraordinary attack on the Parliament and its constitutional duty to hold the government of the day to account.”

Senator Conroy said NBN had claimed entitlement to protection of information as part of the Commonwealth administration.

“However, this is contrary to its own enabling legislation, which clearly and unambiguously states that NBN Co is not a public authority, not part of the Commonwealth and not entitled to any of the immunities or privileges of the Commonwealth,” he said.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield today accused Senator Conroy of besmirching the AFP and said NBN had the right to call in the police over leaked information.

“Stephen Conroy is essentially saying the Australian Federal Police have no integrity, the Australian Federal Police are not operating independently,” Senator Fifield told ABC radio.

“The facts are that there were, allegedly, documents that were commercial-in-confidence that had been stolen from NBN.

“NBN is perfectly within its rights to call the Federal Police to investigate this matter. Stephen Conroy has actually called for the federal investigation to cease and desist.”

In a later doorstop — which was briefly interrupted by newbie senator Derryn Hinch — Senator Fifield said “every word coming out of (Senator Conroy’s) mouth was wrong”.

“Stephen Conroy has alleged that the NBN is behind schedule and over-budget. That’s completely incorrect. NBN released their financial year results last week, which showed that NBN is now available to three million Australians. That’s a quarter of the population. NBN will be complete by 2020,” he said.

“The facts are these: NBN believed that there was commercial in confidence material which was being stolen from the organisation. NBN is perfectly within its rights to refer such allegations to appropriate authorities. As a result, the AFP is undertaking an investigation and they should be allowed to go about their business.”