The major cost-saving goals outlined in the Federal Government's Gershon Report on technology procurement had largely been achieved, but securing longer term strategic objectives for the use of ICT in the public service required more work, an independent review has found.

The technology sector's peak industry lobby has slammed the Gillard Government decision to raid $450 million in funding that had been quarantined for use in innovative new ICT projects.

All the momentum in this so far tedious federal election campaign has been Tony Abbott's, delivering opinion polls suggesting for the first time that he is a real chance of becoming Australia's next Prime Minister – and that the Coalition can make good its promise to scrap the national broadband network.

The Federal Government has taken a further step toward adopting a more open and collaborative culture based on Web 2.0-style tools, with Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner issuing a Declaration of Open Government on behalf the Commonwealth that serves as a blueprint for ongoing Gov 2.0 development.

Stephen Conroy has retained the Communications portfolio in newly-installed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s first Cabinet.

Freshly minted Prime Minister Julia Gillard lost one of her government's key talents within hours of her promotion, with Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner announcing he will not contest the next election.

The generational change that saw Kevin Rudd swept to power in 2007 brought with it great expectations from a local technology sector which had struggled for a decade to convince John Howard that the industry deserved a bigger priority profile in national affairs.

Treasurer Wayne Swan's third federal Budget has delivered the first green shoots of public administration reform that incorporate core Web 2.0 technologies for citizen consultation and collaboration and incorporates broad philosophies of open government.

Impending telecommunications structural reform might be aimed at reducing regulatory complexity, but that hasn't stopped the competition watchdog being given an additional $24 million Budget boost to manage the new issues and new complexities that will arrive with the National Broadband Network.

The Federal Government can build its fibre-to-the-premises National Broadband Network for less than the original $43 billion capital estimate and get a 7 per cent return on its investment without Telstra's help, the KPMG-McKinsey implementation study has found.