The dumb country

Bernard Robertson-Dunn (brd@netinfo.com.au)
Wed, 24 Jun 1998 09:02:45 +1000

Is it just me or do others have the feeling that this country and its
government, in spite of what is said about the Information Economy, just
doesn't believe its own rhetoric? Even worse, its living in the past.

>From the ABC site:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/98/06/23/980623_109.htm

<quote>
Prime Minister John Howard says the Government is willing to help a
mutli-billion [sic] dollar plan for a railway from Melbourne to Darwin.

He says the private-sector project is a step closer towards becoming
reality with a feasibility study expected to go to the five governments
who would need to approve the project in about a year.

Mr Howard says the Government is not picking winners, and has not
indicated any direct financial support.
</quote>

I'm not suggesting the country doesn't need more railways - I just don't
know - but isn't the Information Economy at least as important as
votes^H^H^H^H^H transport?

Does anyone know of an equivalent IT infrastructure project?

Can you imagine the benefit that would accrue from a mutli-billion
dollar IT infrastructure plan, especially if it were backed by
government money?

-- 
If you try to make every sector of your business
a 'profit center', you destroy the system as a
whole. Every component must work to accomplish
the aim of the system.
-- W. Edwards Demming.


Regards
brd
+-------------------------+
|Bernard Robertson-Dunn   |
|Canberra Australia       |
|brd@netinfo.com.au       |
+-------------------------+