Labour commits to a digital nation
new-zealand-labour-party
Mon Oct 17 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Labour commits to a digital nation
Monday, 17 October 2011, 9:24 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Clare
CURRAN
Communications and IT Spokesperson
17 October 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
Labour commits to a digital nation
Labour’s Communications and IT policy, announced today, will invest in local people, business and intellectual capital to drive our economy forward, says Labour’s Communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran.
“Kiwi kids are growing up in a digital world. It is our responsibility to ensure they have the skills and career pathways available to enable them to excel in this increasingly important arena,” Clare Curran said.
“Labour will ensure all Kiwi families can access the internet and high speed broadband no matter what their background.
“Some of our greatest innovations can come out of the most deprived areas. Labour will encourage community participation in IT by among other things increasing funding to Computer Clubhouses and Computers in Homes by $2.7 million.
“Labour has some grave concerns about Government’s urban and rural broadband scheme, and with the amendments to the Telecommunications Act passed in 2011,” Clare Curran said.
“National’s broadband network must not be a tool to entrench the divide between the haves and the have nots.
“Labour will conduct an independent review of the ultrafast broadband rollout, including a full assessment of the true costs of the scheme.
“While Labour is committed to working within Crown Fibre Holdings’ current investment limit of $1.35bn for ultrafast broadband, it will allow the UFB to be extended to other areas of New Zealand.
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“Each action Labour proposes is underpinned by the recognition that a growing economy is dependent on building local skills. Labour will:
• Address the current skills shortage in the ICT sector and wider community by promoting digital careers, matching tertiary courses to IT industry needs and attracting more skilled ICT practitioners to New Zealand
• Lift the number of IT Industry interns from 200 to 1000 nationwide.
• Establish a Ministry of Communications and IT, based in the Ministry of Economic Development, to bring together all policy involving broadcasting, communications and information technology issues.
• Establish an independent network regulator to investigate the impact of monopolies in both the telecommunications and broadcasting marketplaces.
• Appoint a Chief Technical Advisor, responsible for producing technology roadmaps for New Zealand
• Review the functions of the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Press Council and the Advertising Standards Authority.
• Investigate a whole of government approach to open source software.
• Introduce a government ‘App store’ to provide a short circuit for fledgling NZ software developers to get to market.
• Set an aspirational target of 2/3 of government agencies using some form of open source software for a reasonable proportion of their software needs by 2015.
• Encourage greater diversity in IT suppliers in the public sector
• Establish a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for open source software development.
• Improve New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy.
• Establish a Computer Emergency Response Team for New Zealand.
“Labour has the commitment and the plans to establish New Zealand as a digital nation.
“This means making sure New Zealand develops a comprehensive digital infrastructure and ensuring that no-one misses out, so that all of our potential whizz kids of the future can flourish,” Clare Curran said.
ENDS
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