With government priorities lying in the areas of defence and national security, ICT always had its work cut out to secure heavy expenditure in its area.
The consequent limitation on spending has, predictably, secured a mixed response from industry bodies.
While the Australian Information Industry Association said the government had delivered "a considered budget in a tough economic environment," the Australian Computer Society went in boots and all.
In a release headlined Federal Budget Offers Little for ICT, the Australian Computer Society criticised several measures, including a lack of commitment to initiatives recommended by the Framework for the Future and the Broadband Advisory Group.
ACS president Richard Hogg said while the ACS welcomed funding to upgrade ICT facilities and resources within security organisations, it questioned "budget cuts to [the National Office of the Information Economy] and NetAlert, as well as the lack of any initiatives relating to the F3 and BAG committees' recommendations.
"While [Information Technology and Communications Minister] Senator Richard Alston has publicly commented that these reports were only a framework for future initiatives, the fact that no specific funding has been allocated for programs stemming from these reports is disappointing".
The education trade-off
However, Hogg's most telling remark related not to any ICT-specific measures, but to the government's education package, which could see students' university fees rise by up to 30 percent.
Hogg said: "I wonder how we are to continue encouraging our young people into tertiary education and building our knowledge competencies when the cost of education keeps rising.
"The government seems happy to encourage Australia's reliance on high numbers of full fee-paying students from overseas, many of whom are studying ICT, but we need greater focus on developing more local skills for this sector".
What do you think? Is the Federal Government compromising Australia's capacity to build a vibrant, knowledge-based economy (including a competitive ICT industry) by raising the cost of education? Or will the fee changes have little or no effect on Australia's progress in that area? E-mail us at edit@zdnet.com.au and tell us your thoughts.
