Politician Profiles: Senator Kate Lundy

Labor Senator, Kate Lundy

Senator Kate Lundy has become known in the technology community as a fierce advocate of government engagement and Gov 2.0, pushing for support of many of the recommendations made last year by the Government 2.0 Taskforce, and pre-empting the declaration of open government by Finance minister, Lindsay Tanner. Lundy has also been involved in many of the government's committees into technology, including the recent Senate select committee on the National Broadband Network.

Her role in supporting the technology initiatives of the government in recent years has led some in the technology community to even proclaim her as Communications minister, Senator Conroy's, apt replacement or, alternatively, the optimal choice for a hypothetical IT minister in Federal Government.

Lundy began her career as a builders labourer after leaving school at 16, where she was tasked with removing asbestos. After being made aware of the occupational health and safety risks of such a job she became active in the BWIU (Building Workers Industrial Union of Australia) - later the CFMEU (Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union) - and ultimately became the first female vice president of the BWIU's ACT Branch.

Computerworld Australia asked Senator Lundy about what got her into politics, her view of technology in Australia and whether she would accept an IT posting on the government's frontbench.

What got you into politics?

I realised as a young activist that in order to make the laws better for workers, you needed to get involved in politics. As a result, I joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) when I was 18 and started to advocate within the party.

Later, economic development and job creation became a real interest for me. In particular, the role new technologies and the Internet would play in the future became a passion. I was appointed the regional development council for Canberra and the south-east region of New South Wales in the early nineties and it became really clear that clever ideas about new technologies was a great way to create businesses and jobs. All through this period I was a member of the ALP and was asked to consider nominating for the Senate when a vacancy occurred. In 1996 when I was 28, I was elected to the Senate representing the ACT. What experience, if any, have you had in IT and or communications? While I worked for the union, part of my job was producing their communications material, their quarterly journal, and this was my first real experience with computers: desktop publishing. Because I didn’t go to uni, my introduction to the Internet was when it became commercialised around 1992 and I remember using Mosaic, and playing around with HTML.

I had the help and support of some terrific people who fast-tracked what was a essentially a period of self-learning about the Internet and desktop publishing. This led to a fascination with the potential of the internet as a tool for social and public good and as such, once elected IT became a focus. I began participating in every forum and committee I could on IT and Telecommunications. I had a role as shadow minister for IT (Shadow Minister for Science and Information Technology) for many years when Labor was in Opposition. What is your view on the role of technology and telecommunications in the government and government services?

On Gov 2.0: I think it's transforming the way we do government in the 21st century, I think the digital environment offers a completely new way of citizens engaging with government agencies, allowing a far more personalised or citizen-centric approach to services provided by government and I think that's a very positive development.

One of the big areas is openness and transparency, and the release of government information. The government's policy is very much to release information unless there are security or privacy reasons not to. Things like open standards for data being released, making sure it's updatable, providing opportunities for citizens to contribute to that information and mash that data up to provide knowledge based on that information.

I think the culture is starting to change. I take a lot of heart in the Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for Reform of Australian Government Administration report, it covers many of the issues in the Gov 2.0 Taskforce report about the public service needing to be more innovative and open. It is a challenge, and part of it is getting a grip on the role social networking will play in citizenship and government. But also the principles applying to how we've taken an approach to government where information by default would go into the public domain unless there's a reason otherwise. Previously, it's been the inverse - it's private unless there's a reason to make it public - and I'm pleased it's changing.

I'm really interested to see how australia.gov.au is developing, where citizens can provide a level of information about themselves that they're comfortable with. There is no one-size-fits-all - one person might not be comfortable sharing any information, others may want to get a bit deeper services - but I like the fact that we've got a platform now in australia.gov.au that enables different departments and agencies to occupy that service and give different options. The real key to this is empowering the citizens to choose how they want to use services, I think we've got a good framework to get things started.

What is your view on the role of technology and telecommunications in Australia's future? Technology and Telecommunications are critical determinants of our potential for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion. They encapsulate both the infrastructure and tools with which we will be able to engage with each other, as citizens with government, as consumers with business, as voters with our elected representatives and as innovators with our peers.

The NBN has always been the first important base to cover off. By investing in a universal network we're closing the digital divide; it means we can invest in government services online knowing that with the right skills and support, we can actually see a future where our investment in online services will be able to reach all of our citizens. That's a very powerful social equity approach in investing in the digital environment and open government.

Is enough being done to ensure ICT in Australia is given the funding and recognition required to innovate and develop needed skills?

Labor has done the most of any Australian government for ICT in Australia. I believe we are the first government in this country to have had the vision and policies broad enough in the portfolios required to make it happen. For example: The National Broadband Network (NBN), the Digital Education Revolution (DER), the Gov 2.0 agenda, the ICT Reform Program in the Commonwealth Public Sector, massive increases in research and development in our Universities, innovation policies that recognise the central and enabling role that ICT has in growth and innovation and growing our digital economy. The Digital Education Revolution is going to be an important part of necessary skills development, by putting into the hands of more students the tools and education for the 21st century. Combined with professional development to increase the ICT proficiency for teachers and school leaders across the country and the National Curriculum work which integrates a higher level of technology literacy than ever before, I think we are going to see the next generation of students be better prepared to meet the urgent skills needed for the ICT and creative industries. Would you assume the communications, innovation, finance or even a hypothetical IT portfolio if given the opportunity? If so, what priority do you think you would give to IT?

I have always believed the strength of promoting the public policy opportunities with IT involves a broad approach across multiple portfolios. That said, it also deserves a specific focus. It is no secret that I would love an IT-related portfolio and have the opportunity to work with my colleagues to deliver great policies on Gov 2.0, ICT sector growth, digital engagement, ICT procurement and emphasising the role of IT in health, education, the arts and society’s wellbeing generally. There is always more to do, it has been a really interesting and exciting journey so far and I look forward to continuing to focus on ICT policy!

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