Politics

Breakthrough Victoria cops a $360 million haircut, LaunchVic scores $40 million in state budget

- May 7, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Victorian government is cutting funding for its sovereign venture fund, Breakthrough Victoria, by $90 million annually over the next four year, today’s state budget reveals. The reduction in capital allocation for the $2 billion fund comes amid sustained criticism and a high profile media campaign by the likes of Adir Shiffman, chair of ASX-listed… Read more »

Politics

Backing Australia on global content take-down orders only works if you believe China, Russia and Iran have the same rights

- April 24, 2024 3 MIN READ

Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask themselves whether they are equally happy for courts in China, Russia and Iran to determine what Australians can see and post online in Australia.… Read more »

Elon Musk
Politics

If X owner Elon Musk is miffed about taking down a church stabbing video he’s gonna be seriously triggered when he learns about Australian law

- April 23, 2024 3 MIN READ

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has ordered social media platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter) to remove graphic videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney last week from the site. The incident was captured on the church’s livestreamed mass service. In response to this order, X’s owner, Elon Musk, has branded the commissioner… Read more »

Rehan D'Almedia
Politics

FinTech Australia calls for capital raising and trade support ahead of federal budget

- April 15, 2024 2 MIN READ

FinTech Australia is calling on the Federal government to address the challenging capital raising environment for startups and renew its support for Austrade’s effort to promote our local sector abroad. In its pre-budget submission tabled ahead of federal treasurer Jim Chalmers announcing his 2024 Budget on May 14, FinTech Australia CEO Rehan D’Almeida said the… Read more »

begging - coin put in a glass jar
Politics

ATO analysis reveals how tough it is to run a tech business in Australia, with Apple, Google and others struggling to make a buck

- April 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Accounting tricks are helping Big Tech firms avoid paying tax on up to 96.6% of their Australian income, according to a new analysis of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) figures that showed Apple was the worst offender when it came to corporate tax minimisation. The tech giant took $9.3 billion from Australian customers during the 2021-22… Read more »

SunDrive cofounder Vince Allen with PM Anthony Albanese, climate change minister Chris Bowen and company director, advisor and former MP Wyatt Roy.
Politics

Mike Cannon-Brookes is in the thick of the Australian government’s $1 billion plan to turn a coal mining region into a solar manufacturing hub

- March 28, 2024 4 MIN READ

Here’s an astonishing figure. While a third of Australian households have solar power, making us the world leader on adoption, just 1% of those panels are locally made, even thought we invented the technology. So the federal government is hoping to transform the coal mining Hunter Valley region, north of Sydney, into a solar manufacturing… Read more »

Anoulack Chanthivong
Politics

‘It’s the vibe of the thing’: NSW government opens submissions to Innovation Blueprint, seeking to ‘reset its relationship’

- February 27, 2024 3 MIN READ

Nearly a quarter of the way through its first term, the NSW government has opened submissions for its Innovation Blueprint, seeking to make its support for the sector “more collaborative”. After NSW minister for innovation, science and technology, Anoulack Chanthivong announced plans for an Innovation Blueprint last September, six months after taking on the portfolio,… Read more »

Ivan Power
Politics

Startup mentor Ivan Power appointed CEO of $15bn National Reconstruction Fund

- February 1, 2024 2 MIN READ

The Albanese government’s signature business investment vehicle, the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, has its first boss, with veteran Macquarie Group executive Ivan Power named as CEO. Power has worked in global investment for more than 25 years alongside a strong track record in working with early-stage startups and social ventures.. UNSW director of entrepreneurship… Read more »

Politics

Here’s what the major parties and key independents are saying about their commitments to tech and science

- May 18, 2022 2 MIN READ

Peak industry body Science & Technology Australia has asked the political parties and independents standing in this Saturday’s federal ballot for their positions on 10 election priorities for the sector. The sector’s priorities identify major science and technology policy settings and investments needed for Australia to seize crucial opportunities. Whether the pledges of current and… Read more »

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Politics

Australia doesn’t have a strategy for moving to clean transport quickly – so we wrote this plan

- May 12, 2022 4 MIN READ

Australia has no clear strategy to decarbonise transport. That’s a problem, because without a plan, our take-up of clean technologies like electric cars, trucks and buses is slow. It’s stopping us from meeting our climate commitments. And it leaves us paying exorbitant prices for imported oil at the fuel pump, as well as in the… Read more »

Politics

NSW has set out a 20-year roadmap to ramp up critical R&D

- May 6, 2022 3 MIN READ

With research and development investment lagging Victoria and the OECD, New South Wales is doubling down on its competitive advantages in areas like AI, quantum computing, and nanotechnology, the state’s head scientist revealed in launching the state’s new 20-year R&D strategy. The NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap – whose creation was recommended as part of the state government’s… Read more »

Tesla Model
Politics

Labor pledges to double investment in electric and hydrogen vehicles to $500 million if it wins the election

- May 2, 2022 2 MIN READ

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has pledged to double the government’s $250 million Future Fuels Fund to $500 million to boost electric vehicle uptake and infrastructure if it wins the federal election on May 21.  The ALP’s ‘Driving the Nation’ policy also embraces hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure, and hopes to make EVs more affordable and easier to charge, as… Read more »

Anthony Albanese
Politics

How digital platforms are tackling Australia’s election campaign in the age of misinformation

- April 25, 2022 4 MIN READ

As the upcoming federal election campaign moves online, digital platforms and social media are gearing up to counter the spread of misleading information online. While politicians should play a responsible role, digital platforms also have a responsibility to take vigilant, careful action to identify and address misinformation and disinformation during the Australian election campaign, according… Read more »

Canberra
Politics

IT peak body AIIA calls for Cabinet-level Digital Economy minister in the next Australian government

- April 11, 2022 3 MIN READ

Peak body the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) wants to government formed after the May federal election to create a new Cabinet level Minister for the Digital Economy. AIIA CEO Ron Gauci said technology is an essential driver to economic growth, creating jobs and making the nation globally competitive. While the Morrison government already has… Read more »