For more than a decade, the Australian Information Industry Association's (AIIA’s) Board of Directors has met annually in Canberra to brief ministers, shadow ministers, key officials and other industry stakeholders on issues of priority to the ICT industry in Australia. These meetings are essential in maintaining both AIIA's and the ICT industry's high profile with key decision makers.

This year, AIIA’s delegation met with Ministers Eric Abetz and Ian Campbell, Shadow Minister for Communications and IT, Stephen Conroy, and DCITA Deputy Secretary, Rod Badger.

While a smaller delegation spoke with Minister Campbell and officials regarding AIIA’s computer recycling scheme, the principal purpose of this year’s briefing was to develop a common understanding of the role and importance of the ICT industry. AIIA’s delegation stressed the industry’s determination to start a new dialogue with government about the role that ICT plays as a driver of productivity and growth across the entire Australian economy.

Debate is often polarised around whether Australia should be a user or a producer of ICT. AIIA believes that Australia must be both.

According to the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission, ICT contributed at least one third of productivity growth between 1993 and 1999 and other data indicates that ICT could underpin as much as half of forecast growth. ICT underpins productivity and competitiveness in all sections of the economy, so effective use of ICT is essential for our future prosperity.

But we must also be a producer. ICT is an expanding industry, contributing 5.9 percent of Australia’s GDP. ICT offers well paid, challenging employment and global opportunities for more than 200,000 Australians.

AIIA’s mission is to lead and represent the ICT industry to maximise the potential of the Australian economy. Our priorities are to strengthen our industry representation, and to ensure we achieve alignment with national priorities.

Working from the government’s report card, which outlines the government’s measures of success, the government has identified measures that include economic security, job creation, innovation, national security, better health care and education, and regional development.

ICT has an important contribution to make in each of these areas. AIIA’s delegation presented its own report card, demonstrating that ICT drives productivity and employment, and that ICT provides tools to develop, share and expand knowledge. ICT is a platform for innovation; it enhances new business opportunities for export and enables effective and efficient delivery of health and education services.

AIIA’s presentation to the ministers and shadow ministers included a call to action: help us to refine the ICT industry’s “value proposition” together, and help us to identify areas where we can collaborate to ensure that ICT can make the most of its role as an enabler.

AIIA will continue to reshape its focus to reflect this value proposition, and looks forward to working with government to achieve our national goals, through the ICT industry’s contribution to the key drivers of national success.

Rob Durie
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Information Industry Association

ICT organisations remain controlled in their salary spending, contradicting claims that the ICT jobs market is in dire straits.

Each year, AIIA hosts the popular ICT Corporate Golf Day at the Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club.

Contributed by Tony Iams, VP and Senior Analyst, System Software Research
Ideas International Limited