‘Taken the fall’: Digital Transformation Agency faces staffing and funding cuts despite spending $ 1 billion in digital economy | The Canberra Times
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The central government digital agency will face cutbacks in staff and funding despite a major commitment to transform Australia’s digital economy, in a move the opposition links to the failed COVIDSafe app. The digital transformation agency, best known for building the app, will be deprived of 28 staff over the next year, with its total budget slashed by a fifth. The budget documents show that the agency will face a decrease in its funding from $ 425,000 to $ 336,000 during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. It comes as the government has committed $ 1.2 billion over six years to support its aspiration to become a leading digital economy and society. The announcement will see major investments in artificial intelligence capabilities, drone technologies and investments in digital infrastructure, as well as a re-commitment to ongoing service delivery. Digital initiatives, including a rebuild of MyGov and the MyHealth system, also received more than half a billion dollars in Tuesday’s budget. Although the DTA received an additional $ 10 million to support the government’s digital transformation priorities, this represents less than 1% of the total announcement. Labor cybersecurity spokesperson Tim Watts said the agency had become a government scapegoat after the COVIDSafe app broke Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s promises. “What this shows is that the DTA took the drop for the Scott Morrison puppy sold in Australia in the COVIDSafe app,†Watts said. “Despite its continued technical failures and the COVIDSafe app costing taxpayers $ 100,000 a month, Scott Morrison’s good friend Stuart Robert gets promoted and, more insultingly, retains control of the DTA. READ MORE: Australia’s leading technology body, the Australian Information Industry Association, said it supports the government’s drive to develop the digital economy. Its chief executive, Ron Gauci, said the body interpreted the cuts differently, seeing them instead as a redistribution of funding among a number of initiatives in which the DTA will play a role. the role of the DTA has in fact been strengthened, not diminished, â€Gauci said in a statement. “It was always reasonable to expect that the additional funding provided last year to tackle the pandemic would no longer be needed this year, so expect a reduction.” What we have seen is a significant investment in the budget of digital programs and initiatives that the DTA will play an important role in their execution. “Our reporters work hard to provide local and up-to-date information to the community. Here’s how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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The central government digital agency will face cutbacks in staff and funding despite a major commitment to transform Australia’s digital economy, in a move the opposition links to the failed COVIDSafe app.
The digital transformation agency, best known for building the app, will be deprived of 28 staff over the next year, with its total budget slashed by a fifth.
The budget documents show that the agency will face a decrease in its funding from $ 425,000 to $ 336,000 during the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
It comes as the government has committed $ 1.2 billion over six years to support its aspiration to become a leading digital economy and society.
The announcement will see major investments in artificial intelligence capabilities, drone technologies and investments in digital infrastructure, as well as a re-commitment to ongoing service delivery.
Digital initiatives, including a rebuild of MyGov and the MyHealth system, also received more than half a billion dollars in Tuesday’s budget.
Although the DTA received an additional $ 10 million to support the government’s digital transformation priorities, this represents less than 1% of the total announcement.
Labor cybersecurity spokesperson Tim Watts said the agency had become the government’s scapegoat after the COVIDSafe app broke Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s promises.
“What this shows is that the DTA took the drop for the Scott Morrison puppy sold in Australia in the COVIDSafe app,†Watts said.
“Despite its continued technical failures and the COVIDSafe app costing taxpayers $ 100,000 per month, Scott Morrison’s good mate, Stuart Robert, gets promoted and, more insultingly, retains control of the DTA.”
Australia’s leading technology body, the Australian Information Industry Association, has said it supports the government’s focus on growing the digital economy.
Its chief executive, Ron Gauci, said the body interpreted the cuts differently, seeing them instead as a redistribution of funding through a number of initiatives in which the DTA will play a role.
“In view of the investments made in the budget, we find that the role of the DTA has in fact been strengthened, not diminished,” Gauci said in a statement.
“It was always reasonable to expect that the additional funding provided last year to tackle the pandemic would no longer be needed this year, so expect a reduction.
“What we have seen however, is a significant investment in the budget of digital programs and initiatives that the DTA will play a significant role in their execution.”
Our journalists work hard to provide local and up-to-date information to the community. Here’s how you can continue to access our trusted content: