back to article Australian opposition floats startups-and-STEM stimulus plan

Australia's opposition leader Bill Shorten has outlined a startups-and-STEM-fuelled plan for Australia. In his speech in reply to treasurer Joe Hockey's budget, Shorten said “I believe Australia can be the science, start-up and technology capital of our region: attracting the best minds, supporting great institutions and …

  1. GrumpyOldBloke

    Fortunately we know Bill's not serious. The ALP opened the door to widespread use of 457's. The NLP found that the door could not be opened any wider so they knocked down the wall. Two parties of petty tyrants whose only worry is there might not be enough people to rent their investment properties and pay their parliamentary super. Neither party can answer the question of why you would start a high tech business in Oz with its high input costs, unfavourable tax regime, woeful internet services, craven 5-eyes membership, mass surveillance and mandatory airport strip searches. Any intellectual property the business developed would be stolen by one of our 4 eyed friends before the first code review.

    A key problem for Australia and much of the free world is that STEM is being transformed from a driver of innovation and wealth to an overhead needed for surveillance, data mining and revenue protection. Under Bill's plan we will spend a lot of money to try and protect the boomers' legacy rather than moving forward and burying the bastards.

    1. Al Black

      Bill Shorten is at least 30 years behind the times, and so economical with the truth that his nick-name is "Bull Shitten!" Training kids to cut code when all these jobs will be outsourced to India, Vietnam and China is a waste of tax-payer's money. We should be teaching our kids how to think, and to solve problems: those skills never go out of date.

  2. CEO Internet Society

    NEWS RELEASE

    Internet Society applauds Government and Opposition moves to foster our digitally enabled economy.

    The Internet Society is pleased to see that both the Government and the Opposition have this week recognised the need to foster the development of Australia's digitally enabled economy, which is underpinned by the Internet.

    The announcement of funding for the Office of Digital Transformation is an important recognition of the need to embrace digital technologies in improving productivity. It shows the way forward for other governments and for businesses. Innovation is the answer to how we create 21st Century jobs, both for young people entering the workforce and mature aged workers being displaced as our marketplace restructures.

    Labor's commitment to improving science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills and its intention to establish a $500 million smart investment fund to back Australian innovations with start-up capital will also provide a much needed boost to innovation.

    "As the peak organisation representing everyone who uses the Internet we are keen to encourage governments, federal and state, to embrace the Internet as the engine that will drive our economic prosperity by enabling us to create new industries, new products and services, and above all new employment options".

    LAURIE PATTON

    Chief Executive Officer | Internet Society of Australia

    “Helping Shape Our Internet Future”

    Phone: +61 (0)418-777700

    Twitter: @LJPatton

    LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/LauriePatton

    Website: www.internet.org.au

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