Coalition rejects critical NBN report

The federal government claims a Senate inquiry into the national broadband network was stacked in favour of their opponents and didn't reflect the evidence heard.

The coalition has rejected a report from a committee dominated by Labor and the Australian Greens that found the government's strategic NBN review was flawed, and recommended a fibre-to-the-premises network be pursued.

Former communications minister Stephen Conroy said the government's strategic NBN review was a "sham" riddled with "financial fudges, fiddles and manipulations" to justify their broadband alternative.

"This interim report is an indictment of the coalition's plans for broadband in Australia," he told parliament.

But Liberal senator Anne Ruston said on Thursday the committee was an "extraordinary abuse of parliamentary process", and the government was given just one hour to prepare a dissenting report.

She said an agreement with Labor that a joint committee would look at the NBN was ignored so Senator Conroy could dominate proceedings in an attempt to defend his legacy.

"Time and time again the lion's share of the hearing time was allocated to Senator Conroy and a much smaller amount of time was allocated to the coalition."

Senator Ruston also said witnesses weren't called or were bullied by opposition senators.

Despite evidence to the contrary the final report said Labor's plan for fibre-to-the-premises was the only way forward, she said.