Yesterday’s budget shows that the Coalition has no vision for the ICT sector and is not interested in creating high-wage, high-skilled jobs for the future.
There was not even any reference to any of the recommendations contained in either the Framework for the Future report, or the Broadband Advisory Group Report, which is further evidence that these were merely motherhood statements not linked to any policy vision.
The other features of the Budget relating to ICT were all bad news including:
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No commitment to continue funding the Building on IT Strengths (BITS) incubators beyond June next year; |
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A cut to the National Office for the Information Economy of almost $5.8 million; and |
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A funding cut to NetAlert from $4.5 million over three years, to $1.5 million over three years. |
The silence over the BITS incubator program means it will be forced to spend the next 12 months winding up operations, leaving the Australian innovation landscape without a public policy initiative to capitalise on Australia’s good ideas.
The Coalition has no interest in growing Australia’s domestic ICT industry – no interest in creating profitable exporters, and no interest in growing Australia’s high-skill, high-value jobs in this sector.
Howard and Costello’s latest Budget shows that Australia’s ICT sector has dropped off the Coalition’s radar.
14 May 2003. Media contact: Adina Cirson – (02) 6277 3334 or the Electorate Office – 0418 488 295.
