The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at the Press Club this week telling Australia that he had instructed the Treasurer Jim Chalmers to convene a special Productivity Roundtable in August.
The roundtable, made up of senior leaders from government, business, the unions and civil society would discuss Team Australia-style strategies for improving the nation’s lagging productivity performance.
Mr Albanese used his priority-setting speech to announce the promotion of Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy to become the nation’s most senior public servant as secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Productivity is the new black in this parliament and everyone’s on-board. You can here all about it this week’s News Wrap podcast.
Industry and Innovation minister Tim Ayres has been allowed out of his weeks-long departmental briefings to talk to the media.
At the core of his initial messaging for the portfolio: It’s all about AI and investment in digital infrastructure, all in the service of productivity improvement.
He spoke to Radio National last Friday, then popped into the InnovationAus.com office for a podcast on Tuesday, followed by interviews with Capital Brief and then with Guardian Australia.
The point is that this industry minister and this government is talking about AI and data centres in a different way. More urgency and more optimism.
Senator Ayres says he will be pushing AI policy development harder and faster, and not just on the regulatory side. He wants to see the results of work on the National AI Capability Plan sooner (it had previously been due to report at the end of the year).
The Treasurer’s Productivity Roundtable in August is shaping as the hottest ticket in town. You can expect to see an unprecedented representation of leaders from the tech industry, including from heavy users of tech.
It can’t possibly be a coincidence of the Business Council of Australia’s hefty AI strategy for the next three years has landed at the same time *crying-with-laughter emoji*.
Artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure will of course be a centre talking point for the Productivity Roundtable.
My bold prediction is that at least two Business Council board members will make AI presentations. We know that CommBank’s Matt Comyn is scared Australia is being left behind – and it’s a wild guess that Google’s local chief Mel Silva will have her say.
There is plenty in the news this week in the NewsWrap podcast. You can listen to the podcast here.
Here’s some reading for the storylines we discuss:
Ayres on Australia’s plan for economy-wide AI capability — InnovationAus.com [SUBSCRIBER]
‘We’re certainly not involved in picking losers’: Tim Ayres backs PsiQuantum deal, plots NRF revamp — Capital Brief
Australia has ‘no alternative’ but to embrace AI and seek to be a world leader in the field, industry and science minister says — Guardian Australia
Qld finally reveals its position on $1b quantum deal — Australian Financial Review
Australia edges toward Horizon Europe research talks — InnovationAus.com [SUBSCRIBER]
Victoria sets up review of its VC fund and startup supports — InnovationAus.com [SUBSCRIBER]
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.