[AusNOG] All talk but no ICT policy

[Narelle Clark]

I'd have to agree with the journalist in this article reporting on the
ACS breakfast this morning... actually I failed to hear any content at
all in Sen Coonan's speech!

The other interesting part was the long list of government initiatives
that no-one in the audience had heard of! Especially when compared to
the intensive anti Internet scare capaign being run (see the crap in
your letterbox yesterday??) Not to mention the cheer that went up when
Sen Allison pointed out that "The minister thinks there is no problem
[with broadband], I think there is!"




All talk but no ICT policy

Ben Woodhead | October 05, 2007
THE technology industry has been left hanging for substantive IT
policy announcements after the federal government and opposition
declared they would not reveal specific plans for the sector before an
election is called.

The declaration came despite Federal Communications Minister Senator
Helen Coonan and opposition communications spokesman Senator Stephen
Conroy agreeing to an Australian Computer Society-sponsored policy
debate.

The debate, held in Sydney this morning, also featured Australian
Democrats leader Senator Lyn Allison, but Senator Coonan moved early
in the proceedings to dispel any notion that she would be revealing
the Coalition's ICT policy platform yet.

Senator Conroy also said that ICT professionals would have to wait
until the election is called before they could hear specifics of
Labor's proposals around research and development, computer literacy
and skills.

The hedging came as the three senators delivered broad-brush
statements around the need for improved access to broadband, policies
that would encourage innovation and the need to encourage more young
Australians to seek careers in the ICT sector.


etc at:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22534989-15306,00.html






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Narelle
narellec at gmail.com