tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post5867946129016410699..comments2023-11-02T20:45:14.873+11:00Comments on eGov AU: Is the Australian government equipped to provide collective public goods online?Craig Thomlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18350603210658700252noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post-4258136117690226452009-08-27T10:49:54.051+10:002009-08-27T10:49:54.051+10:00As silly as it seems to you and me, the minimalist...As silly as it seems to you and me, the minimalist government standpoint is out there big-time. I want policy to stand the test of time, regardless of who is in power.<br /><br />Abrasive language like "cracking the public service on their collective heads" will make them even more defensive about change. A more constructive approach would be preferable, like "what's in it for govt too?"rlubenskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11518962181442701634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post-55589520479049834782009-08-26T21:54:53.768+10:002009-08-26T21:54:53.768+10:00Good points Craig, however I suspect the governmen...Good points Craig, however I suspect the government, despite any desire to do so, could never have provided these services. Apart from perhaps Google Maps, all of them were non-obvious innovations, and did not start out as "digital infrastructure". Now they are there, the government isn't going to compete, for good reasons.<br /><br />On the other hand, I think the old "left wing" chestnut is silly, and the argument to "not burden the taxpayer" is self-defeating. What are taxes for, if not to provide services and infrastructure? They could do a lot more to enable online innovation though, starting by opening up their data and cracking the public service on their collective heads.xtferhttp://xtfer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post-90735357136827380062009-08-25T19:12:30.569+10:002009-08-25T19:12:30.569+10:00Hi Steve,
I like the idea - but there's still ...Hi Steve,<br />I like the idea - but there's still a fund raising issue.<br /><br />rlubensky,<br />Fair point. However regardless of whether political left or right, democratic governments have outsourced some services via grants or sales. <br /><br />Both sides of Australian politics have sold assets and funded private education for example.<br /><br />I think that any Australian government would be interested in considering funding organisations to deliver public services ('goods') that government can't provide as efficiently.Craig Thomlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350603210658700252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post-27843877205092953492009-08-24T14:13:59.604+10:002009-08-24T14:13:59.604+10:00Problem with "public good" argument is t...Problem with "public good" argument is that it privileges the political left. Libertarians would say that publicly-accessible online infrastructure should not be a concern of any gov't. I'm not a fan of public/private partnerships due to contradictory goals and irreconcilable differences. Finding the policy sweet spot won't be easy. But it needs to be found so a cyclical change in gov't doesn't undo it all. Let me ask a different question: how can gov't drive online innovation and define the public goods for online service delivery, but not burden the taxpayer?rlubenskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11518962181442701634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750343339904865739.post-85576034479885327012009-08-24T09:35:53.412+10:002009-08-24T09:35:53.412+10:00Australian governments do provide some collective ...Australian governments do provide some collective goods online, especially through cultural institutions like the National Archives and Powerhouse Museum.<br /><br />In the Sydney session at least, Dr Gruen said this, but also said he was being deliberately proactive. One practical suggestion he made was charitable tax status for 100% not-for-profit online initiatives such as the collective authoring and distribution of open source software.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com