Featured, News - Wednesday, July 7, 2010 18:48 - 12 Comments

I’m not the IT minister, says Conroy

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today told press at the launch of a new Macquarie Telecom call centre that he didn’t consider information technology to be part of his portfolio — claiming that role belonged to Industry Minister Kim Carr.

Various sections of Australia’s technology sector have speculated over the past few weeks that new Prime Minister Julia Gillard could split Conroy’s portfolio up — giving the IT part to Labor Senator Kate Lundy, who has demonstrated an enduring interest in the sector, and leaving Conroy with the NBN ball and regulation of the telco sector.

“Well, IT is not formally part of my portfolio — I’m broadband communications and the digital economy and Kim Carr looks after IT, so it is actually already split,” Conroy said, referring to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

Conroy’s statement mimics a situation experienced directly after the 2007 Federal Election, when it was unclear whether Australia’s peak IT research group, National ICT Australia, was the responsibility of Carr or Conroy. At the time, Opposition Senator Eric Abetz said the Government was “in a bit of a muddle” with the group — leaving NICTA hanging somewhere between the two ministers.

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