$46m 'blown' on email system at $23k a pop claim

Peter Dinham
Tuesday, 06 December 2011 11:40

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Queensland state opposition claims the Queensland Labor government has 'blown' $46 million - or $23,000 per user - on an email system that caters for just 2000 accounts.

Making the claim today, the LNP Shadow Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Ros Bates, said Labor's 'IDES' (Identity, Directory and Email Services) program was another prime example of 'long-term Labor's waste and mismanagement.'

According to the shadow minister, the Bligh government's pattern of 'monumental waste continues," and she compares the $23,000 cost per user to the price of a family car.

"This is the same sort of waste that occurred with the Health payroll debacle where Queensland Health fundamentally declared themselves exempt from good project governance, project management disciplines and pragmatic business process reform.

"And no Minister has been held to account, all the while costs and charges keep piling onto taxpayers already strapped with the Bligh government's rising costs of living," Ms Bates says.

According to Ms Bates, the Minister's comment that it 'doesn't matter because 'it's all the Government's money' shows how out of touch this government has become.'

"It is not Government money, it's taxpayer money and it's part of the booming debt soaring toward $85 billion which has to be paid back through taxes and charges on hard strapped Queensland families,' Ms Bates adds.