Australia's new ICT ministers
Incoming Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week revealed his new ministry, confirming who will oversee the ICT-related portfolios in the new Coalition government.
Malcolm Turnbull has taken the role of Communications Minister, as was widely expected given his three-year position as Shadow Communications Minister in Opposition. Turnbull will oversee, among other things, ACMA and the NBN.
Liberal MP Paul Fletcher, who authored the Coalition’s internet filter policy that was confirmed then very quickly denied earlier this month, has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications.
Liberal senator Mathias Cormann is the new Minister for Finance. His new department - the Department of Finance and Deregulation - includes The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), which advises the government and its agencies on ICT investment, project delivery and ICT policy implementation.
The “strategic outlook” of AGMIO, however, will be the domain of Michael Ronaldson, the new Special Minister of State, according to ITnews.
Prior to this appointment, Cormann was Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.
In Opposition, prior to the election, the Shadow Finance Minister was Liberal MP Andrew Robb, who in the current ministry has been given the role of Minister for Trade and Investment.
John Stanton, CEO of the Communications Alliance, was welcoming of Turnbull’s appointment to Communications Minister.
“He has real business experience in the sector as part of his past career and a very high level of knowledge about the way that the businesses operate. That augurs well for his ability to rationally analyse the challenges that will confront him,” Stanton said.
Telecoms analyst Paul Budde said Turnbull will face a challenge in getting his party colleagues to separate ICT from politics.
“The real world, of course, in infrastructure is now digital and that I think will be a major problem area for Malcolm Turnbull in his new reign - to get his colleagues to accept the importance of ICT and put the politics aside from that area,” Budde said.
Budde also voiced concerns about the political independence of the Coalition’s promised three reviews into the NBN.
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