Criticism greets Howard's broadband plans - News - Communications

To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

--------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Criticism greets Howard's broadband plans

By Jeanne-Vida Douglas, ZDNet Australia
February 27, 2002
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Criticism-greets-Howard-s-broadband-plans/0,130061791,120263724,00.htm

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has officially opened the World Congress on IT, using the address to forshadow a major announcement regarding Australia's broadband infrastructure.

-We are conscious that the provision of broadband is an important to Australia, and are interested in revealing the ways we can harness broadband to reap the dividends for all Australians," Howard said.

He went on to announce the formation of a joint government and industry group set to be chaired by Federal IT Minister, Senator Richard Alston, which will be created to ensure the benefits of IT are captured by the bulk of Australians.

The Prime Minister's comments have been attacked by Shadow Minister for Information Technology, Senator Kate Lundy, who said the announcements regarding broadband fly in the face of comments made by Alston during the recent election campaign.

-It is ironic that today's announcement contradicts the Senator's comments during the election campaign that broadband was not a key driver in the information economy," Lundy said. -Both of the initiaves are ideas directly pilphered from the Labor party's Knowledge Nation policies and in that sense the Coalition is again playing catch-up when it comes to IT policies."

Lundy also critiscised the Prime Minister's focus on Australia as a consumer rather than a producer of technology.

-It goes to show that the coalition still doesn't get it when it comes to technology," Lundy said.

Howard also used the event to reaffirm Australian's commitment to the US in its war on terrorism, and critisise the Eurpoean Union for its agricultural tariff policies. In fact he spent the bulk of the address covering Australia's agricultural and mining industries, commenting briefly on how IT had improved productivity across all sectors of the economy.

-We now export more wine to the UK, than the French, which says something about our excellent wine industry," he said, apparently forgetting the focus of the congress is information technology.