Pauline Hanson to use NBN oversight for regional comms and foreign fragging

Pauline Hanson has detailed the reasons behind why she sought membership on the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network (NBN).

"Every day, Australians rely on a decent service to provide internet to them that can work for businesses, schools, everything -- it's just become part of our lives," the One Nation leader said in a video posted on her Facebook page.

"I actually wanted to be on this committee, because my input is going to be asking questions because I want accountability -- I've always said that.

"The NBN is going to cost us in excess of AU$50 billion -- AU$50 billion -- and yet, we are going to take such a long time to roll it out, it's not working in areas, the upspeed [sic] is just hopeless."

On Monday night, after losing a vote to Nick Xenophon Team Senator Stirling Griff, a deal with the government was cut that saw Nationals Senator John Williams stand down in favour of Hanson.

On its policy page, One Nation does not list a broadband or communications-related policy, and instead rails against issues such as Agenda 21, Sharia law, and Halal certification of food.

The One Nation leader said her online experience in Parliament House this week was so poor she needed to be on the committee.

"This week at Parliament House they could not provide service on a regular basis. Our internet service was down, the speeds are disgusting, they don't work properly, so if we can't get it right at Parliament House, what hope has the rest of Australia got?" she said.

"So hence why my being on this committee is to take your comments, what you believe, to the committee, to investigate it, to actually call for accountability, and so our money is not being wasted. The taxpayers' dollars, that's what's important about all this."

After the video was posted, Hanson took to Twitter saying speeds in non-metropolitan parts of Australia are terrible, and that those speeds are impacting on the gameplay of regional minors.

"Kids from the bush tell me because their speeds are so bad they keep getting beaten by gamers from overseas -- unacceptable," Hanson said.

The Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network was formed upon the resumption of Parliament following the recent election, and is tasked with reporting on the rollout progress of the NBN; user demand and usage patterns; any impediments to NBN uptake; Australia's global ranking in residential broadband infrastructure; and any other relevant matters.

The NBN is slated to be completed by 2020, and is expected to provide 17 percent of Australian premises with fibre to the premises; 51 percent with fibre to the node, fibre to the basement, and fibre to the distribution point; 24 percent with hybrid fibre-coaxial; and 1 percent in regional areas to have either fixed wireless or satellite coverage.