MIL OSI – Source: Labour Party –
Headline: Chief Technology Officer to lead Labour’s ‘Digital Upgrade’
A Labour Government will put ICT at the highest level of Government by creating the position of Chief Technology Officer to directly advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet on Information Technology issues, Labour’s ICT spokesperson Clare Curran says.
“Reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will undertake a wide-ranging inquiry into how information technology projects are managed by government agencies, and ensure systems work better and more efficiently in future.
“We will also mandate the CTO to produce and present an annual ‘Digital Technology Roadmap’ and a ‘National Digital Architecture’ for New Zealand.
“For too long, Information Technology has been seen as a backwater in government. ICT is so much more than simply paying Chorus to roll out Ultra-Fast Broadband, badly managing data breaches and IT upgrades across government agencies.
“ICT will be a major driver of economic growth in Labour’s modern New Zealand.
Information technology is as transformational for New Zealand in the 21st Century as refrigerated shipping was in the 19th Century.
“The CTO will be the trusted face for the New Zealand public on digital issues. They will be accountable to the Prime Minister and the public, rather than being beholden to the industry.
“From speaking to industry and consumer groups, we know that Labour’s CTO already has widespread support across the sector.
“The CTO will spearhead Labour’s ‘Digital Upgrade’, to be launched prior to the Net Hui conference on Friday morning (July 11). Labour’s ‘Digital Upgrade’ is the first of two ICT policy announcements, with the second to be announced closer to the election.
“The next Labour Government will put a stake in the ground and make New Zealand a tech-savvy nation. Our ‘Digital Upgrade’ will support New Zealand’s transformation into a more prosperous nation, supported by a vibrant technology industry where everyone benefits and our kids can aspire to having well paid jobs in a thriving export tech sector, Clare Curran says.
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