Only hours after thwarting the Government’s earlier attempts in the Senate to stop the money being taken out of the Communications Fund, the House of Representatives disallowed the amendments and returned the Bill to the Senate.

In spite of the Nationals holding their ground, the $2 billion that had been set aside by the previous Government for rural and regional communications will now be used by the Federal Government for its National Broadband Network.

Nationals Senators Barnaby Joyce, Ron Boswell, Fiona Nash and John Williams stood as one, condemning Labor for taking money away from country people.

“The $2 billion had been set aside by the Nationals in the previous Government to future-proof rural and regional communications," Senator Williams said.

"Now the Rudd Government has its hands on the money with no commitment to spend it in the bush.

“Disgraceful, appalling and shameful are an appropriate description of what Labor has done.

"They have shown before they are not interested in the well-being of rural Australia.

"Now a financial backstop that had been gained by the Nationals for country people will be frittered away.

"The Nationals have said we will die in the trenches to protect our investment in the bush, and by going it alone for the second time in a week we have been true to our word.”