I’m currently at a conference on Queensland’s Gold Coast, where yesterday I had the privilege of attending the keynote session, addressed by Paul Fletcher MP.

Sadly, Mr Fletcher said very little that was new.

Rather, his talk was directed to trying to disassemble the NBN which is currently a work in progress. In his talk he was very negative (why are the Libs so damn negative all the time? Good opposition means that you’re not necessarily negative, but you offer alternatives) and he failed to offer anything of substance as an alternative.

He even trotted out that old chestnut that nobody has any applications that could use the NBN’s maximum speed, as a justification for not proceeding.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Just because Mr Fletcher is unable to think of a possible use for super fast broadband is no reason to discount or discard it. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Two years ago, the iPad did not exist. Despite this previous iPad-less world, the advent of this device has seen our lives enhanced with creation of some of the most creative, and the most imaginative, applications that I have ever seen.

And I say that with over thirty years IT experience under my belt!

Mr Fletcher, your inability to think beyond the next election is no reason to stop the NBN.

Mr Fetcher, your lack of imagination will take this country back to where we do not rely upon our brains to earn our national income. You will be actively preventing us from being a smart country.

Mr Fletcher, your failure to see what is possible is no grounds to doom us to becoming a hillbilly nation. Had others followed your example, there would be no Sydney Harbour Bridge, and there would be no Snowy Mountains Power Scheme, and we would not have the reliable power grid that we currently enjoy.

Your attitude suggests that we should grab a trailer, and turn Canberra into a massive redneck trailer park.

Enjoy your Model T internet, Mr Fletcher. I hope that you enjoy live as you choose to live it, 100 years in the past.