Federal Budget: Hopefully Still the “Lucky Country”

David Heath
Tuesday, 13 May 2008 19:56

IT Policy - Regulation

There’s nothing useful in the 2008 Australian Federal Government Budget to promote Australia as the Clever Country.  Unfortunately Governments past and present remain trapped in the past they hold so dear.

There’s a universal truth when it comes to the grip that any government (and its Civil Service) holds upon the fiscal, beneficial and managerial needs of its country.  They only understand the past.  If it worked in the past, keep doing it; if it stops working, keep doing it.  Drastically changing overall policy is like asking an aircraft carrier to perform a U-turn; no, a hand-brake turn!

This evening’s Federal Budget rewards the usual suspects: Inflation, Battlers and Voters of the Party in Power; it also punishes an equally predictable group of suspects: The Rich, The Bush, the Elderly and (unfortunately) Technology.

Take a step back; consider the Howard Government Ministers for Technology over the past few years: Richard Alston and Helen Coonan come to mind.  I’ve seen both speak on the general topic of IT over the past few years – one at the launch of NICTA, the other immediately prior to a recent Federal Election.  I remain quite sure neither has a clue what QWERTY means, nor how to find out.

Faced with a golden opportunity for generational change, to undo the technology-cringe of the past dozen or so years, the Rudd Government has blinked. 

Cut that.  With their eyes downcast, they walked slowly in the opposite direction.

Let’s look at the major technology announcements from tonight’s Budget.

• Up to $270.7 million (don’t forget the .7!) over four years to improve broadband services in regional and remote areas.

• $4.7 billion over 4 years to build a 12 Mb/sec broadband network for 98% of homes and businesses.

• $125.8 million over four years (what’s with the 4-year thing?  Does it mean they get to re-announce three-quarters of the amount next year?) for the Cyber-safety Plan protecting our children from inappropriate online material.

In short: nothing new, nothing of any value.