Politics Archives

CHEQUE OUT TIME: the Australian government’s payments strategy plan goes digital, ending cheques by 2030

David Braue - June 9, 2023 3 MIN READ

Buoyed by dramatic changes in the way consumers pay for goods and services, Australia’s payments processing ecosystem will be overhauled based on a new strategic plan that includes the phasing out of cheques and full transition to the New Payments Platform (NPP). The newly launched Strategic Plan for Australia’s Payments System – developed through consultation with regulators,… Read more »

Politics

How the new NSW government kicked the startup sector in the guts over MVP grants

Ben Zyl - June 7, 2023 2 MIN READ

Last week we were among the many startups and small businesses who suffered a kick to the guts by the sudden (and quiet) halting of Investment NSW’ MVP Ventures grant program. In one brief email, our plans for the year were turned upside down. Only last month we publicly praised the NSW Government for its… Read more »

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The Australian government is going to force Big Tech to scan your photos and emails for illegal things

David Braue - June 7, 2023 3 MIN READ

Tech giants will be forced to scan Australians’ emails, online photo libraries, cloud storage accounts and dating sites for illegal content or face fines of nearly $700,000 per day, the eSafety Commissioner has said after rejecting two proposed industry codes as inadequate. Developed by key service providers and delivered to eSafety in February for review, the problematic… Read more »

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NSW strikes deal with Uber to limit surge pricing when there’s a major transport incident

Simon Thomsen - June 1, 2023 2 MIN READ

Uber’s controversial surge pricing, which has seen the US tech giant refund customers and apologise in the wake of 2014’s Lindt Cafe siege, will be capped in times of crisis under a deal with the NSW government. The agreement is part of the Transport Management Centre incident response process to deal with unplanned public transport… Read more »

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Despite layoffs, Australia’s tech sector created 70,000 new jobs in the last 12 months

Simon Thomsen - May 30, 2023 2 MIN READ

Australia’s tech sector grew by 8% over the past year and despite a wave of high profile redundancies, added more than 10,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2023. The nation’s tech workforce increased by 70,000 jobs to 935,000 by February 2023, according to new research from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). That growth… Read more »

Politics

FinTech Australia and open banking companies want the federal government to sort out a consumer data right roadmap

Simon Thomsen - May 30, 2023 3 MIN READ

Australia’s roll out of open banking under the consumer data right (CDR) is stalling ahead of the third anniversary of its introduction, with industry lobby groups and the fintech sector calling on the federal government to put in place a long sought-after roadmap for CDR implementation. FinTech Australia and the Financial Data and Technology Association… Read more »

Politics

NSW startup sector sounds the alarm as the state government turns off funding taps in pre-budget review

Simon Thomsen - May 25, 2023 5 MIN READ

The NSW startup sector has responded with dismay after the NSW government suddenly shut down a range of funding programs for early-stage companies in the wake of an expenditure review by the new Labor government. Popular programs such as the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) grant have been put on hold “as part of the sector-wide… Read more »

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Here’s what the 2023 budget promises for Australian science and innovation

Kylie Walker - May 11, 2023 3 MIN READ

Australian innovation has the capacity to protect us – our environment, our digital world, our borders and our health. All of these are focuses of this year’s federal budget. But the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector has been sounding the alarm for years that our research system is in crisis. Reviews in progress… Read more »

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3 things the Tech Council likes about the 2023 federal budget

Simon Thomsen - May 9, 2023 3 MIN READ

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) has welcomed federal budget announcements backing skilled migration, cybersecurity and a new commercialisation fund. TCA CEO Kate Pounder said the measures by Treasurer Jim Chalmers aligned with the priorities in the Council’s pre-budget submission. “The Budget takes important steps to address the big challenges facing our country, including skills… Read more »

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Budget 2023: what you need to know and what it all means at a glance

Chynthia Wijaya-Kovac & Justin Bergman - May 9, 2023 < 1 MIN READ

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has delivered his second budget with a heavy focus on cost-of-living relief for Australians who are struggling due to persistently high inflation and rising interest rates. While Chalmers says the economy should continue to create jobs and unemployment is expected to remain historically low, inflation remains the top economic concern. Chalmers says… Read more »

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Budget gives startups $392 million fund to commercialise ideas, plus $101m for quantum and AI

Simon Thomsen - May 9, 2023 3 MIN READ

The 2023 federal budget has earmarked $392 million Industry Growth Program in advice and grants for startups and small businesses, to help them commercialise their ideas. The announcement by federal treasurer Jim Chalmers in the 2023 budget on Tuesday night is part of more than $500 million in funding that science and industry minister Ed Husic… Read more »

Politics

Victorians are finally getting their digital driver licences

Simon Thomsen - May 9, 2023 2 MIN READ

Victoria will join NSW, Queensland and South Australia in offering a digital licence for drivers from next year. The state government announced this week that motorists will be able to carry their licence on their phone with a digital driver licence trial in Ballarat from July before a statewide roll-out by 2024. NSW pioneered the… Read more »

Lance Bombardier Jarrod Logan, launches a Wasp unmanned aerial system

Politics

Australia is pouring $3.4 billion into a defence capabilities accelerator

Simon Thomsen - May 1, 2023 2 MIN READ

The federal government has earmarked $3.4 billion over the next decade for an Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) to develop advanced military technologies. The proposal is part of the Defence Strategic Review released last week, which recommends spending $19 billion over the next four years amid more effective support for innovation, faster acquisition and better… Read more »

Politics

Australia released its long-awaited electric vehicle strategy but will it meet its emission-reduction targets?

Hussein Dia - April 20, 2023 4 MIN READ

Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, released today, details the government’s long-awaited plans to accelerate the adoption of these vehicles. Consultations on the strategy began last September. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, then promised the strategy would make Australia a globally competitive market for electric vehicles. Households and businesses would have access… Read more »

Politics

The Australian government has banned TikTok on public service devices amid China fears

Denham Sadler, Information Age - April 6, 2023 3 MIN READ

The Australian government has banned TikTok from all public service devices, claiming the app poses “significant protective security risk” to the Commonwealth. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced on Tuesday he had authorised a mandatory direction to ban the TikTok social media app from any device issued by a Commonwealth department or agency. State and territory governments… Read more »

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