20 December 2000 - Media Release

Humphry Review into IT Outsourcing must be made public immediately

Senator Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister Assisting on Information Technology, today called on Finance Minister John Fahey to immediately make public the findings of Humphry Review into the failed $5 billion IT Outsourcing Program.

The Humphry Review, which is due to be handed to the Minister before New Year, was instigated following the Australian National Audit Office’s damming report into the Coalition’s IT Outsourcing Program. The ANAO report revealed that:

“I am hopeful that the Humphry Review will recommend strong, decisive action against the flawed IT Outsourcing Program, Senator Lundy said.

“Labor has rightly criticised the Coalition and the way the Office of Asset Sales and Information Technology Outsourcing (OASITO) have handled the IT outsourcing in Commonwealth departments and agencies.

“The evidence has been overwhelmingly against the continuation of Minister Fahey’s Outsourcing Program.

“In the interests of transparency and accountability, Minister Fahey must release the Humphry Review as soon as receives it, otherwise it could appear that he is trying to cover up the contents of this Review.

“This is a real test for Minister Fahey’s credibility,” Senator Lundy said.

107/00. Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295

20 December 2000 - Media Release

Unearthed: A Youth Culture Necessity

The Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs, Senator Kate Lundy, today called on the ABC to guarantee the future of ABC radio’s highly successful Triple J Unearthed program.

It was reported yesterday that Unearthed had its budget slashed from $100,000 to $28,000. ABC management later denied that Unearthed’s budget had been slashed.

“There are very few programs for young people in regional areas and any winding back or diminution of Unearthed is not just a threat to youth culture and their aspirations but potentially damaging to the Australian Music Industry,” Senator Lundy said.

“Unearthed has visited more than 40 regional areas and unearthed over 70 new Australian young bands and musicians.

Unearthed, which often broadcasts from regional Australia, profiles local music and provides opportunities for unsigned Australian bands to have their works professionally recorded and played on national radio. This national profile has resulted in many Unearthed bands securing recording, publishing and distribution contracts. Unearthed’s success stories include bands such as Killing Heidi (Goulburn Valley), Grinspoon (Lismore) and Endorphin (Cairns).

“Unearthed provides young people with opportunities to launch their music careers in what is a highly competitive industry. It also allows young people in regional areas to enjoy a national profile and celebrate their region through local music festivals, news stories and interviews

“Unearthed is vital to young people, not only in terms of promoting their music but in supporting their development, awareness and acceptance.

“Unearthed has captured the sound and essence of regional Australia’s unique cultural and social characteristics and the ABC must continue to fund this vital youth program,” Senator Lundy said.

106/00.Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295

12 December 2000 - Media Release

Time for sports funding announcement, Mr Howard

The Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Kate Lundy, today called on the Prime Minister to honour a pledge he made during the Sydney Olympics to boost elite sports funding.

At the height of Australia’s Olympic success, Mr Howard promised to boost funding for Olympic and Paralympic sport. Asked by journalists on October 3 whether there would be increased funding for elite sport, the Prime Minister replied:

Well, there will be some more over and above what was allocated in the last Budget, yes.

“Labor welcomed this commitment, given that the Coalition’s last budget sliced $16 million from elite and community-based sport and the $25 million per year Olympic Athlete Program terminates at the end of December,” Senator Lundy said.

“We offered genuine bi-partisan support to Mr Howard because Labor wants to build on the inspirational achievements of the Sydney Games and create a lasting legacy for all Australians.

“With the May budget just five months away, and our Olympic athletes resting after their record-breaking performances, it appears that Mr Howard has forgotten his promise to Australia’s athletes.

“This funding is desperately needed to halt the exodus of coaches, sports scientists, administrators and even athletes, who will be left without sufficient funding unless the Coalition honours its commitment.

“The Labor Party is committed to ensuring consistent and high-quality preparations for future Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games as well as World-championship events,” Senator Lundy said.

105/00.Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295

6 December 2000 - Media Release

Alston warns off Internet investors with Interactive gambling moratorium bill

The Coalition’s Interactive Gambling (Moratorium) Bill 2000, which passed in the Senate today after the Democrats split and Tasmanian Senators Harradine and Brown voted with the Government, always was and still is a flawed piece of legislation, Senator Kate Lundy said.

“The Coalition is sending a clear message to investors in Internet-related industries – be prepared to be blown out of the water.

“Senator Alston is jumping up and down alleging that Australia is a new economy, that we are technologically savvy and capable of being a world player in e-commerce and online transactions.

“Yet Senator Alston has just presided over legislation making illegal, online activities that are perfectly legal offline.

“Labor opposed the bill and called on the cross-benches not to indulge the Coalition by supporting their manipulative and misleading legislation designed to deceive Australians into believing problem gambling was being addressed.

“Worst of all, this bill does not address problem gambling and in no way offers leadership for a co-regulatory framework to ensure consumer protection and harm minimisation for Australians engaged in online gambling.

“It’s no wonder information technology industry growth in Australia is being retarded under the Howard Government,” Senator Lundy said.

104/00.  Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295

5 December 2000 - Media Release

Alston back flip on Interactive gambling

Senator Alston has performed an Olympic-class back flip on Interactive gambling by seeking to remove wagering from their proposed ban on Internet gambling in order to pass the Coalition’s controversial legislation.

Interactive gambling involves the placing of bets on sports or casino-type games over the Internet.  It also may involve telephone sports betting via the Internet and the nature of this betting can range from sports bets to casino-style games, lotteries, bingo and keno.

In October, Senator Alston was unsuccessful in gaining the necessary support in the Senate for the Interactive Gambling (Moratorium) Bill 2000, which sought to make all forms of Internet gambling illegal in Australia. 

Under obvious riding instructions from the Prime Minister, Senator Alston has now re-introduced this Bill in the Senate.  However, Senator Alston is now forced to directly contradicted his previous position - that all forms of online and interactive gambling should be banned.

Here’s what Minister Alston told the Senate said when he first presenting the bill on 9 October:

As I understood it, it is being suggested that there is somehow some valid distinction between gaming and wagering.  Each of them involves putting money on an outcome or, if you like, having a bet.  One is a mechanically determined outcome; the other is a real-life event.  Beyond that, they each involve the outlay of money based on some element of chance, and in that sense they both constitute interactive gambling.

The government's view is that, to the extent that through the Internet, the television set or otherwise it is possible to generate a new industry that caters for either or both of those streams of chance, they should all be put on hold for the period of the moratorium in order to make a judgment about what is a sensible approach.

Clearly the deal struck with members of the cross-benches is a desperate attempt by the Coalition to pass some form of legislation, regardless of the original arguments put forward by the Coalition.

It’s no wonder Australia’s reputation as a global village idiot persists under the Howard Government.

103/00.   Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488295

4 December 2000 - Media Release

Fahey, OASITO to proceed with Science agencies IT outsourcing

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.