A plea for the science agencies in Group 9 to be excluded from the Coalition’s controversial IT outsourcing program has been ignored by Finance Minister John Fahey.
The CSIRO and other science agencies have accused OASITO of failing to accurately represent and address their concerns and of trivialising their objections to outsourcing.
The Group 9 ‘cluster’ comprises the CSIRO, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Geographical Survey Organisation and the Australian Antarctic Division.
“As far as John Fahey and the Office of Asset Sales and Information Technology Outsourcing (OASITO) is concerned, the Group 9 contract will proceed,” Senator Lundy said.
“It’s business as usual.
“At Senate Estimates hearings last week, OASITO chief executive Ross Smith admitted that OASITO’s job is to implement the Coalition’s program of outsourcing Commonwealth agencies, regardless of whether that outcome is beneficial or not. Asked whether the science agencies were able to control their IT infrastructure, Mr Smith said:
Senator, the answer to that is very simple. The Government’s policy decision is that all IT infrastructure shall be outsourced.
“However, not all Coalition ministers agree. The Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Minchin, has pleaded for the science agencies not to be outsourced as it put their research and core business at risk.
“This plea has obviously fallen on deaf ears.
“Despite this appeal, not only is the Group 9 cluster going ahead, but OASITO have refused to rule out selling the Bureau of Meteorology’s super computer, worth more than $20 million.
“Selling the Bureau of Meteorology’s super computer is an example of just how out of control Minister Fahey’s ideological obsession with IT outsourcing is,” Senator Lundy said.
102/00. Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295
