This week’s political coup that saw Tony Abbott unseated as Australia’s Prime Minister and Malcolm Turnbull taking on the top job still settling will have significant consequences for the IT industry, according to analyst firm Ovum.
Turnbull has a strong background in technology as a founder of ISP Ozemail, and both understands technology and appreciates what it can do to stimulate the economy and improve society, said Ovum principal analyst, government technology, Al Blake.
“He’s on record as regarding ‘digital literacy’ as important as reading and supporting open access to government data and in his role as Minister for Communications, he espoused the benefits of using high-value government datasets to ‘assist government in making evidence-based policy decisions’,” Blake said.
He was responsible for creating the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) earlier this year within his then department, which drew extensively from the experience of the Government Digital Service (GDS) within the Cabinet Office in the UK Government. Blake said Turnbull’s successful bid has also provided some certainty around the future of the DTO.
A crucial issue for the IT industry is who will be charged with overseeing the Communications portfolio and particularly the NBN, according to Blake.
“When the incoming Liberal government inherited the ‘Labor NBN’, after months of trashing it as a ‘massive white elephant’, it was a political imperative to promote a different approach – resulting in the mixed-mode delivery model pushed for the last two years against the advice of many in the ICT industry,” said Blake.
“Although he was following the party line there was always uncertainty as to how strongly Turnbull personally supported that approach and his elevation to the PM spot may allow for an NBN recalibration. Given the political realities, it would be impossible to go back to the original Labor plan – but we may see the proportion technologies slide further towards FTTP which would mean world-call broadband performance for a greater percentage of Australians.”
Regardless of these uncertainties, “having someone with an understanding of technology at the highest position in government cannot be underestimated”.
“Australia now has someone who ‘gets it’ when it comes to digital delivery of government services and is not going to be prepared to accept delays, excuses and second rate solutions,” Blake said. “The issue now is for the ICT industry both inside and outside of the public sector, to rise to the challenge and deliver of the promise of a connected, technologically literate and effective Australia.”
Photo: Tim Bauer
