"The Labor Party's industry development policy could best be described as 'steady as she goes' with a commitment to continue several government programs," said Rob Durie, executive director of the Australian Information Industry Association.
"The only new initiative offered is to release an ICT Industry Development Strategy. While this is a laudable policy, AIIA would have preferred that this strategy be released prior to the election," he added.
The strategy will "identify barriers to growth and strategies to eliminate them", and will include "specific strategies for encouraging the growth of the multimedia and digital content sectors", according to Labor's plan for Information Technology, "The Connected State".
The government has also indicated it plans to support small to medium enterprises by offering tailored advice, involving them in research institutions such as the Australian Centre for Advanced Computing and Communications, the ICT Centre of Excellence and the Smart Internet CRC. It also plans to encourage SMEs to compete for government business.
There are also plans to support the development of the ICT industry in the Hunter, Illawarra, Central Coast and Western Sydney regions through industry clusters, Technology Awareness Groups and regional delegations and showcases.
