A major Cabinet reshuffle Monday saw Alston rescind his role to Attorney-General Daryl Williams.
His 11-year tenuous reign of the communications portfolio makes him Australia's longest-serving federal minister in this category. Alston leaves at a time when the ICT labour market is at its lowest ebb, coupled with challenges surrounding the privatisation of Telstra.
Will Alston be missed? Depends on whom you ask.
A predictable Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for the Arts, Sport and Information Technology, immediately welcomed the announcement of his resignation. In a scathing statement, she said: "Alston's removal from the front bench comes after years of being asleep at the wheel and disinterest in his portfolio, particularly Information Technology."
Lundy highlighted three major boo-boos by Alston:
Australia has been going backwards in ICT industry development, resulting in a devastating trade deficit. Imports have soared and Australia's ICT sector has shrunk.
Under Alston's watch, Australia's broadband penetration slipped from 13th to 19th in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
Alston's Internet content regulatory regimes for adult content and online gambling earned him an international reputation as -the World's Biggest Luddite".
"Alston's other noteworthy debacles include: the failed Framework for the Future Report (his only ICT policy contribution); his failure to address Telstra's growing dominance in the broadband communications sector and, finally, his departmental Web site which cost a whopping $4 million," Lundy said.
The ICT sector needs and deserves a minister with vision and energy, but unfortunately by replacing [Senator] Alston with [Daryl] Williams, the Prime Minister has substituted a minister asleep at the wheel with a plodder, hardly known for his dynamism, she added.
The success or failure of policies set out by the Communications and IT department has wide ramifications on the tech sector. The failure to manage offshore outsourcing is a good case in point.
Indeed, only time will tell if Williams was an impetuous choice. My take: he might have the personality of a telephone directory but, considering his experience in policy-making, perhaps we shouldn't judge a book by its cover...yet.
