SUMMARY
There were cabinet reshuffles this week, in both New Zealand and Tasmania, that had the effect of adding further responsibilities to the already heavy workloads of their respective digital ministers. AI was the focus of two major speeches out of the UK, one by a cabinet minister and the another by a spymaster. And we expect Treasury will soon be updating its data sources.
FEDERAL
The Commonwealth Treasury has launched a new Wellbeing Budget framework, a list of 50 metrics categorised under five themes (satisfaction, secure, sustainable, cohesive, prosperous). The matrix includes measures of digital inclusion (improving) and negative online experiences (increasing). Commentators were quick to emphasise that the new metrics rely on dated data.
Home Affairs has launched AusCheck, its civilian background vetting service for operators of critical infrastructure “to mitigate personnel security risks.” Not to be confused with the Defence vetting service, AusCheck was allocated a further $164.8 million in ‘enduring funding’ over four years in the May Budget.
The PM confirmed that Kathryn Campbell, the former Secretary of the Department of Social Services (and later DFAT) and one of the public servants responsible for the Robodebt debacle was 'suspended without pay’ by PMC soon after the Royal Commission report was released two weeks ago. She then resigned soon after the news became public.
STATE BY STATE
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has revealed a cabinet reshuffle, adding tourism, state development, trade and Antartica to his own list of portfolio responsibilities, and handing off the health portfolio to Guy Barnett. Digital Minister Madeleine Ogilvie will get additional responsibilities for women and family violence, an area of specific focus for the DDMM.
Queensland has pledged to deliver a new quantum and advanced technologies strategy by the end of 2023. It will complement the federal quantum strategy that was released in May.
NSW’s sheep and goat industry will receive $38 million for a rebate scheme to subsidise the introduction of the mandatory national electronic identification (eID) scheme. The rebate will be available to saleyards, processors, famers and agents.
Darwin now has a direct cable connection to Asia, with the completion of the 1,000km Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC), which forms a connection between two existing cable systems, the main west coast link between Perth and Jakarta (via Christmas Island), and the undersea line between Port Hedland and Darwin.
INTERNATIONAL
NZ Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has been forced to reshuffle his cabinet after MP Kiri Allan resigned from cabinet following a car accident and related arrest. Digital Minister Ginny Anderson adds Justice to what is now a ridiculous portfolio workload... she already holds Police, Small Business, Seniors, Digital Economy and Communications, and Associate Treaty Negotiations. The country will go to the polls on 14 October.
The UK Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quinn revealed plans to entice AI and data specialists from the private sector to temporary secondments with the British Civil Service. He also confirmed the government is committed to moving more government staff out of London and into dedicated hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Also delivering a speech this week, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Richard Moore, confirmed that his spies are using AI to predict human behaviour and pledged to “win the race to master the ethical and safe use” of the technology. He also invited Russian agents to defect.