ACS Slams Federal Attitude to IT Funding
Sunday 23 March 1997 - The Australian Computer Society has criticised comments by Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism, Mr Moore, downplaying the need for Federal support to encourage IT exports.
In response to concerns by senior Austrade officials that funding cuts were undermining their efforts to promote Australia’s technology offerings at CeBIT 97, Mr Moore refused to take any responsibility.
"We expect companies to mature at some stage and go out on their own - and we have a large debt to get under control," he reportedly said.
ACS Vice-President Prins Ralston said Mr Moore’s view is short-sighted and takes no account of the potential of IT exports to address the issue of Australia’s foreign debt.
"Rather than trying solely to control debt, we should be working to encourage exports that have the capacity to wipe out the trade imbalance."
Mr Ralston coordinated the ACS Submission to the Information Industries Taskforce, which called for greater commitment from the Federal Government and the formation of a Cooperative Industry Development Program for IT&T.
"If Australia focuses only on debt control without trying to promote exports, our research shows it could take over 23 year to address the imbalance, if ever. On the other hand, effectively promoting and enhancing our local IT industry could see this deficit wiped out in just seven years," he said.
This media release is located on the Web at: http://www.acs.org.au/news/cebit.htm
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Prins Ralston, ACS Vice President, Tel: (0889) 466 264 or (0418) 898 456, Email: p_ralston@darwin.ntu.edu.au
Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9630 2108 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au
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