Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I represent the electorate with the largest tech workforce in the country. Bennelong is home to 18,000 tech workers and understands how important technology is to our economy. This government gets how important technology is to our economy. Every facet of our economy, from agriculture to finance and from retail to advanced manufacturing, is impacted by digital technology. From small businesses moving across to digital point of sale and listing their goods online to multinational medical technology companies like Medtronic using AI to diagnose and screen patients, the digital economy is alive and well. It would be important for any government to foster its growth and ensure that it remains safe and that it remains acceptable to all Australians.

Since coming to government, we have got straight to work to ensure we can unlock the potential of technology and also AI. From our National Quantum Strategy to a world-first $5 billion capability investment by Microsoft to our ambitious target of recruiting 1.2 million tech related jobs by 2030, we are laying the groundwork for a prosperous digital future. Importantly, we are doing so by investing in our workforce. Currently, Australia is creating more tech jobs than we have tech graduates. This is unsustainable. Tech jobs are good, well paid and flexible. The sector has identified that we have severe skills shortages in a sector that we know will help productivity. In response, the industry has asked the government for help. From fee-free TAFE to changes to our migration strategy, we have put policies in place to ensure that Australians and Australian businesses can take advantage of well-paid tech jobs in the future. As the Tech Council has noted, shortages of experienced tech workers can put Australia's security and economy at risk. As a government, we are doing things to address that.

Despite what the member for Casey has put in this motion today, we are absolutely a government that have acknowledged the need for a comprehensive response to the emergence of AI. We recognise the immense potential of AI to drive economic and productivity growth, but we also understand the importance of ensuring its safe and responsible development. That's why, after extensive community consultation on the safe and responsible governance of AI, the government has outlined actions on AI high-risk settings, including developing a voluntary AI safety standard in collaboration with industry stakeholders. We are also exploring options for mandatory safeguards for organisations involved with high-risk AI, and we are doing so alongside the rest of the world. As signatories to the Bletchley declaration, we have put our name to global initiatives to encourage the safe, ethical and responsible development of AI. We are working with the EU, the US, the UK and China to ensure that AI is designed, developed, deployed and used in a manner that is human centric, safe, trustworthy and responsible, because we have to get this right. Our strategy cannot stifle innovation by being too prescriptive, but it also must ensure that AI remains safe and trusted.

It seems the only solution proposed by the member for Casey, seconded by the member for Hughes, is to increase the size of the Albanese ministry. All they want to do is appoint an extra minister; 'That'll fix the problem,' they say! I think this is a second time he has come in here and said, 'We want a bigger ministry.' Titles and name badges don't make good policy; good ministers make good policy, and we have, in the Minister for Industry and Science, a good minister who is doing important work on this issue. On the regulation of AI, he has been measured, consultative and deliberate, and his approach has been backed by industry and the public alike.

Don't take my word for it; here is a quote from the CEO of the industry peak body, the Tech Council, from only a few weeks ago—and it's actually relevant, unlike the quote the member for Casey read out:

Providing clarity on the Australian Government's approach to AI regulation is good for business and consumer confidence. It means businesses can better plan for building, investing in and adopting AI products and services, and the public can take confidence that AI risks are being safely managed and regulated in Australia.

This approach is the best way to balance innovation with the need to ensure that AI is developed safely and responsibly.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Australia possesses the talent, resources and ingenuity to lead the way in the digital age. We've got a government and a minister that understands how to do it.

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