Politics
The Australia government is building a facial recognition database from drivers licences as part of its national ID plan
https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2022/government-building-national-facial-recognition-database.html
Politics
The Australian government is giving the CSIRO’s VC arm, Main Sequence Ventures, an extra $150 million as part of a $2 billion research commercialisation plan
Scott Morrison will continue to tip out large dollops of money when he addresses the National Press Club on Tuesday, with his theme “building national resilience”. He will announce the government will fund a $2.2 billion Research Commercialisation Action Plan, which includes about $2 billion in new money The centrepiece is a 10-year $1.6 billion… Read more »
Politics
The Australian government just gave video games developers a $20 million boost
There was some good news buried in the headline numbers of the federal government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) for Australia’s video gaming industry. The upbeat MYEFO forecasts have the combined deficits over the coming four years to FY25 falling by $2.3 on the May budget forecast to $342.4 billion. The FY22 deficit has… Read more »
Politics
Australian MPs are looking at the impact of Big Tech on mental health
The Morrison government is setting up a parliamentary inquiry to put big tech companies “under the microscope” over dangers posed to people’s wellbeing by toxic material on their sites. In its latest strike against big tech, Scott Morrison said the move built on the weekend announcement that the government would legislate “to unmask anonymous online… Read more »
Politics
Planned ‘anti-troll’ laws do nothing for most victims of online abuse
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Michaelia Cash announced proposed new legislation aimed at making online “trolls” accountable for their actions on Sunday. Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard Morrison decry trolls as “cowardly” and “un-Australian”, language that made it into the talking points at yesterday’s media conference. But is his new-found concern about… Read more »
Politics
For whom the bell trolls: Morrison government plots social media crackdown against anonymous users
Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites could be legally liable for defamatory posts made by users unless the tech companies out the person responsible under new laws proposed by the Australian government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the proposed changes to defamation law for social media platforms on Sunday. The changes will redefine the… Read more »
Politics
There’s embarrassingly easy, tax-free way to make electric cars cheaper in Australia
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he wants to keep prices down. Without his party in power, “you’re going to see petrol prices go up, you’re going to see electricity prices go up”. There’s something practical he can do straight away to stop prices from rising. Apart from a home, a car is the most important… Read more »
Politics
Australia ramps up quantum computing focus with $70 million commercialisation hub
The Morrison Government’s increased focus on technology took another step up today with $111 million allocated to quantum technologies. The investment includes $70 million over 10 years for the Quantum Commercialisation Hub to foster strategic partnerships with other nations to commercialise Australia’s quantum research. The announcement came as Prime Minister Scott Morrison released its Blueprint… Read more »
Politics
The NSW government just put together a $105 million bag of financial incentives to get more EVs on the roads
The NSW government is offering $105 million in incentives to accelerate the uptake electric vehicle (EV) purchases in commercial and council fleets. NSW Treasurer and energy and environment Matt Kean announced the plan less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s $178 million plan for more charging stations. While Morrison’s plan was widely criticised… Read more »
Politics
The Australian government is putting $500 million in to low emissions investment – and wants the private sector to match it
The Australian government is hoping the private sector’s appetite for investment in climate change tech will make it want to partner with the Commonwealth in a $1 billion commercialisation fund to develop new low emissions technologies. The government is chipping in $500 million for the fund, to be run by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation… Read more »
Politics
The Morrison government’s new EV strategy leaves Australia idling in the garage as the world hits the road
The Morrison government will announced its long-awaited electric vehicle strategy, coinciding with COP26 climate change talks underway in Glasgow. The new policy contains some welcome new funding, but is largely notable for what it omits. In a welcome move, the government has allocated an additional A$250 million for electric vehicles, primarily aimed at charging infrastructure.… Read more »
Politics
The Morrison government’s new EV policy avoids subsides and an end date for petrol vehicles
After demonising Labor’s policy on electric cars before the 2019 election, the federal government has put electric vehicles at the centre of a new “Future Fuels and Vehicles Strategy” to be released by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday. The policy puts another A$178 million into the government’s future fuels fund, bringing it to $250… Read more »
Politics
The Australian government wants to expand its digital ID system. Here are several things in the plan you should be concerned about
The federal government has been asking the public for feedback on proposed legislation to create a “trusted digital identity” system. The aim is for Australians to use it to prove their identity when accessing public services. I first found out about the draft Trusted Digital Identity Bill not through my research at the intersection of… Read more »
Politics
Atlassian’s new 40-storey HQ has been approved a part of Sydney’s Tech Central
The NSW government has approved tech giant Atlassian’s plan for a 40-storey timber skyscraper next to Sydney’s Central Railway The 180-metre tower will be the tallest commercial hybrid timber building in the world with construction to get underway next year. The tower concept is by New York-based architects SHoP, with Australian practice BVN as the… Read more »
Politics
The Australian government is making reporting ransomware attacks mandatory
The federal government will introduce a new mandatory ransomware reporting scheme as it looks to crackdown on cybercriminals targeting Australians. Sparse details about the scheme were announced alongside the Department of Home Affairs’ Ransomware Action Plan, released on Wednesday, but the government said it will likely affect businesses with an annual turnover greater than $10… Read more »
