Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bishop for that question. The Rudd government recognises the importance of the digital economy in securing Australia’s economic prosperity. Today government, business and society all come together through digital technologies. Digital technologies now shape the nation’s economic, social and cultural exchanges. It is no exaggeration to say that these technologies are just as important as roads, rail, docks or airports for connecting Australians with the rest of the world.

The importance and potential of the digital economy will only grow when the government delivers on the national broadband network, providing minimum speeds of 12 megabits to 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses. To this end, the government is engaging with industry on how the benefits from our investments in the digital economy, including the NBN, can be maximised. Our engagement with industry has included three workshops in which industry participants outlined their aspirations for Australia’s digital economy over the next five years.

The product of these workshops fed into a digital economy forum I recently chaired that was attended by more than 100 stakeholders, including small to large businesses, industry associations and all levels of government. The forum reached a consensus on the need to develop a road map for the future of the digital economy in Australia. This road map will outline the vision for the digital economy and help guide both government and industry efforts to realise the full potential of the digital economy. This road map—