Victorian Labor pledges to make NBN opt-out

Victorian Labor has pledged to follow Tasmania's lead and make the NBN "opt-out" in the state should it win this weekend's state election.

ICT Minister John Lenders said today that a "future Brumby Labor Government will design and implement an ‘opt-out model' for the network to quickly roll out the NBN across as much of Victoria as possible."

"This would either involve developing a national process in partnership with the Gillard Labor Government to be rolled out across the States or legislating for the relevant changes in the Victorian Parliament," he said.

Tasmania had earlier sought to put the onus on residents to decline having NBN fibre rolled from the street to their homes, rather than have to sign a consent form to allow NBN Co to make the connection.

Lenders also said that a Labor Government would provide $10 million in seed funding to set up an Australian Broadband Laboratory that he said would support "up to 50 highly skilled jobs".

It would focus on creating new products, services and applications that took advantage of high-speed broadband.

Lenders also took a pot shot at the Liberal Party ahead of the poll.

"The Liberal Party has never supported the NBN and doesn't care about our ICT industry, releasing no ICT policies at all during the state election," he said.

The state was due to go to the polls Saturday.