Industry pundits and analysts ZDNet Australia spoke to following the announcement of the Federal Government Budget 2002-03 were disappointed about the lack of focus on ICT, with a feeling that this latest letdown won't help recovery of Australia's technology sector.
But comments Shadow Minister for IT, Senator Lundy, made in statements she issued yesterday have been met with a frosty response from the Minister for IT's office.
Lundy alleged that it was a Budget largely devoid of any mention of the ICT sector. -...the only notable mentions have been the kneecapping of the National Office of the Information Economy and the reduction of the first instalment of funding to the ICT Centre of Excellence program," Lundy argued.
However, Alston's office has taken her to task on these comments, issuing a response arguing that the Budget papers had made it clear that there hadn't been any change to the funding arrangement for the ICT Centre of Excellence.
This exchange is the latest installation in not-so-positive feedback from the ICT industry expressing disenchantment with the level of Government support for the sector in the Budget announcement.
I don't really care about the budget - it's a pack of lies and missing information anyway. I'd prefer to see the Gov. get real over allowing immigration for IT skilled people. It's very hard picking up work now, let alone with more job/contract seekers out there. We don't need to import more IT people. Cutting IT based immigration would be a simple thing to do, without significant cost and while it wouldn't have an immediate effect, it will ease the way as the market rebuilds (which is likely to be a slow process anyway).