Coalition: The most significant single initiative is the AU$129.5 million world-class ICT Centre of Excellence, which is currently in a tender process. The Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) program will have a funding boost of 80 percent (AU$227 million over five years), thereby providing significant opportunities for more ICT CRCs. The R&D tax concession has been extended to provide a cash-out option to pre-profit SMEs, which will be of benefit to young but growing ICT companies. The R&D Start program will receive an additional AU$535 million over five years to extend the successful R&D START program.
Democrats: Increased funding for universities, CSIRO, CRCs, pre-seed programs, ARC and DSTO; ensure design, arts and other creative industries receive greater support and prominence in our education and research institutions; change DETYA categories of research outputs in competitive funding models to better reflect the different modes of research in ICT; greater emphasis on co-operation in funding models to enhance development of critical mass in key ICT areasââ,¬"we must encourage an ethos of local co-operation for global competition; lift tax concession to 150 percent with incremental incentive of 200 percent for R&D labor spend; develop more fine-grained R&D concessions to ensure different modes of creativity are not excluded from support; extend and simplify R&D Start and other grants schemes for business; extend tax concessions and incentives, such as is offered to film, to develop strong local production in creative applications and content development; and allow parallel importation of computer software in conjunction with strengthening anti-piracy provisions.
Greens: The Greens would selectively apply tax concessions and public investment to ensure that ITC R&D remains viable and vibrant within Australia.
Labor: The Knowledge Nation taskforce report recommended a target of doubling the R&D as a percentage of GDP by 2010, bringing Australia to the top of the OECD tables. Labor recognises that research, development, commercialisation, and the ability to create jobs and sustain growth from the creation of wealth is central to our future social and economic success as a nation.
One Nation: We need to create more tertiary education places and encourage Australians to participate in higher education. However, it is no use having a throng of IT savvy people with no jobs to go to. One Nation is committed to providing more funding for R&D through the Bank of Australia, which would offer low interest loans and stimulate the expansion of existing business and the development of new business.
It's disappointing that the only party the failed to address the current problems is the incumbent Liberal Party. It's equally disappointing that the Liberals were reelected.