In other public sector ICT and digital news for 26 October 2021:

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected a COVID-19 Commission recommendation, delivered by US presidential innovation advisor Andrew Liveris, which suggested that he lead innovation policies to drive the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery.  

• Recent senior public sector appointments include:
  • Kathryn Fagg as the new chair of the CSIRO;
  • Caroline Mill as Australia’s next European Union Ambassador, as well as Fiona McKergow as the new High Commissioner to Cyprus and Dr Genevieve Clune as the Ambassador to Estonia; and,
  • Stewart Milner as the leader for Victoria’s new Centre for Higher Education Studies.
• The Labor-led Select Committee on Job Security claims that the federal government must limit hiring consultants and contractors and invest more in internal systems and ICT staff. The inquiry addressed concerns surrounding the tech capabilities of Australia’s public service, which has been jeopardised by the government’s over-reliance on short-term solutions.  
• The NSW government aims to be the first Australian jurisdiction to dip its toes in the global semiconductor industry by establishing the country’s first semiconductor hub. The hub will focus on supporting existing NSW semiconductor design and IP companies.  
• The Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre released its third and final report last Wednesday, laying out twelve recommendations to help regulate the cryptocurrency industry. These recommendations address crypto opportunities and risks, reducing crypto-mining emissions and the emerging issues surrounding neobanks and ‘debanking’.  
• Service NSW has rolled out its new secure data transfer application to replace email for sharing sensitive information at service centres. It was deployed in response to a significant phishing attack upon the agency in 2020. The solution will allow frontline staff to safely transfer information to other government agencies.  
• The government has proposed new critical infrastructure security laws which offer authorities further takeover powers. These proposed laws have been met with some contention by industry operators, who claim they will be ‘unworkable’.