ACS President Dr Nick Tate launches the Election Platform
Photo: Good Thanks Photography
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has outlined a roadmap for the next federal government to boost the digital economy and improve Australia’s technology sector.
The ACS 2022 Election Platform features nine key policies aimed at making Australia a technology leader.
ACS President Dr Nick Tate launched the platform during this week’s ACS Reimagination Thought Leaders’ Summit in Sydney, saying the last two years have proven the importance of technology for the economy and society overall.
“Everything from working from home, check-in applications, and alleviating supply chain issues hinges on a skilled IT workforce,” he said.
“Expanding this workforce is now essential to maintain the nation’s standard of living and grow our economy.
“The ACS Election Platform lays out a roadmap for the next government – regardless of who wins – to build on the Australian economy’s strength over the last two years and help the nation keep its place in the digital economy.”
At the ACS Digital Disruptors Awards 2022, NSW Customer Service Minister, Victor Dominello, endorsed the Election Platform, signing a copy of the document on stage. Minister Dominello was a Keynote speaker at the IFIP World Computer Congress in South Korea in 2015.
“I used to think IT was like tonsils – I didn’t understand what it did or why it was necessary,” he told Wednesday night’s crowd of IT professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
“But as we’ve seen in recent years, IT is the spine of organisational structures.
“You are seriously shaping our future,” he told the crowd, “and it is very important that we secure that future by improving the Australian IT and technology sector.”
NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello spoke at the Digital Disruptors Awards 2022. Photo: Good Thanks Photography
The nine measures proposed in ACS’ 2022 Election Platform are:
- A $500m program to boosting the technology profession’s diversity and inclusion
- $100m on encouraging Digital Technologies education in schools
- A $10,000 employer tax credit to improving the workforce’s digital skills
- Stronger cyber security rules for government agencies and contractors
- A $100m crackdown on spam and scams
- $500m for growing Australia’s regional digital economy
- Establishment of a Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
- Creating a Cabinet-level Digital Economy portfolio
- Establishing a commission to evaluate the needs of tomorrow’s workforce
ACS consulted with members and the public to form the policy priorities.
The community noted a need for more diversity and inclusion in the IT workforce along with a strong need to increase the number of IT professionals working in Australia.
