The appointment of a digital industry minister and greater investment in the sector are among a suite of demands released today by the peak national body for communications and technology ahead of the state election.
This morning, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) released its pre-election policy statement for Western Australia, making eight key recommendations it believes could improve the state’s ranking on the national digital inclusion index and significantly boost the sector.
The most prominent among them is the request for the government to appoint a cabinet-level digital industry minister, one that would be tasked with developing a strategy over the next 12 months aimed at modernising digital services throughout the state.
The minister would be responsible for considering the association's other election requests, including state government agencies delivering more key public services through an online service portal, the implementation an open procurement process allowing WA-based companies to compete equally, and the inclusion of digital technology opportunities in the state’s recovery roadmap.
The AIIA believes the creation of an industry engagement program and the roll out of digital skills hubs would go a long way to supporting regional growth and economic diversification and also recommended a review of the current payroll taxation framework.
AIIA chief executive officer Ron Gauci said the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated that digital technologies were vital to effective public policy, engagement and productivity and encouraged the government to continue working with the sector to support the sort of innovative technology that was driving investments in health, mining, defence, and education.
The association’s WA-based council chair, Sharon Brown, said the strategy aimed to target opportunities for the sector that would facilitate continued economic recovery in the next financial year, and encouraged the government to ensure major spending initiatives included a digital capability development component.
Since its inception in 1978, the AIIA has played an important role in growing the digital ecosystem through the creation of a favourable business environment for those working in the sector.
