The federal government is seeking to incentivise businesses to adopt and transition to digital technologies through its $800 million Digital Business Plan.
The federal government is seeking to incentivise businesses to adopt and transition to digital technologies through its $800 million Digital Business Plan in a move designed to allow more businesses to operate through the pandemic and boost Australia's GDP up to $6.5 billion over four years.
Global consultancy firm McKinsey estimated the adoption of technology in Australia had advanced up to five years in eight weeks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Around half of the government's $800 million spend would be used to finalise the government's business register allowing Australians to start businesses in minutes rather than weeks.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New South Wales Health pushes testing as school holidays begin | Sky News AustraliaNew South Wales Health has revealed concerns over the state's testing rate, urging people to continue getting tested for the mildest symptoms as school holidays kick off across the state. \n\nThe last two 24-hour reporting periods revealed only 12300 tests were conducted, while the number of tests sat above 20000 per day a few weeks ago. \n \nThe state reported no new coronavirus cases on Sunday, marking the first time of zero new daily cases since June 10. \n\nOn five of the last seven days, NSW also reported no locally acquired cases. \n\nNSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard praised the community’s effort via Twitter, but warned there was “no room for complacency” as there was still no treatment and no vaccine. \n\n
Read more »
Financial bail-outs need to go from government thinking | Sky News AustraliaSky News contributor Cory Bernardi says businesses and consumers need to take more responsibility for their spending and loaning.\n\nMr Benardi said the last time the “world was going to end” and governments scrambled to save Australians was the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. \n\n“The effective cause of the GFC was irresponsible home loans by US banks to the unemployed and the unemployable under the guise of 'fairness and equity'.,' Mr Bernardi said.\n\n“These sub-prime mortgages were packaged up and on sold to investors. \n\n“When they collapsed, many institutional investors, like the investment banks, were then bailed out by taxpayers.”\n\nMr Bernardi said then Prime Minister Kevid Rudd introduced responsible lending laws to respond to the failures of the credit system. \n\nThese laws, however, gave banks the responsibility of ensuring their clients repay their borrowings, at risk of being held liable for the borrowers default. \n\n“The government has now abandoned the Rudd era responsible lending laws in a bid to inject a shot of credit adrenaline into our economy,” he said.\n\n“Now I am for more deregulation…as long as only the two parties to the transaction are the only one's held responsible for any negative outcomes.\n\n“The credit victim mentality has to stop. \n\n“If you want less regulation and more freedom, there also needs to be more responsibility.” \n
Read more »
‘Dysfunctional’ Andrews’ government ‘basically a one-man show’ | Sky News AustraliaVictorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien says the dysfunctional Andrews government is “deeply divided amongst themselves”. \n\n“This is a dysfunctional government,” Mr O’Brien told Sky News. \n\n“There’s basically a one-man show”. \n\nMr O’Brien’s comments come following the resignation of Jenny Mikakos from her role as Victorian health minister on Saturday. \n\nHe said Victoria has now gone from being “the world’s most livable city to the world’s lockdown city”. \n\n“Daniel Andrews will say and do anything that’s convenient on the day,” Mr O’Brien said. \n\n
Read more »
Government committed to beating 2030 emissions targets | Sky News AustraliaEnergy Minister Angus Taylor says the focus should remain on lowering emissions through technological development, rather than committing to a net zero emissions target by 2050.\n\n“If we succeed in that ... then we will see dramatic emissions reductions and they wont just be by 2040 they will be by 2050 but we’ve got to make the technologies work and the focus needs to be on actually delivering,” Mr Taylor told Sky News.\n\nThe government has revealed a list of five new and emerging technologies it is planning to invest in as part of a roadmap to bring down emissions. \n\nThrough to 2030, the government said it would invest $18 billion in a bid to unlock further investment for the private sector totaling around $50 billion, and hoped to wipe out 250 million tonnes of emissions by 2040. \n\nThe five major investments included clean hydrogen, energy storage, green steel and aluminum, carbon capture and storage, and soil carbon projects.\n\n“Our focus is on technology not taxation, it’s bringing down those 250 million tones through to 2040 and more beyond,” he said.\n\n“Doing it in a way that is going to maintain a strong economy, which is going to maintain critical industries, agriculture, transport - that’s absolutely essential to this.\n\n“Unlike the approach taken by Labor in the lead up to the last election where they were prepared to slash jobs, they were prepared to slash incomes, they were prepared to slash industries and regions - we will not do that.”\n
Read more »
Andrews government most 'incompetent, dishonest' to run a state since federation | Sky News AustraliaAFL legend Sam Newman says “genuinely mediocre” people are running Victoria, with the Andrews government being probably the most “incompetent and dishonest” to run a state since federation.\n\nMr Newman has been outspoken against the Daniel Andrews government since the strict rules were introduced.\n\n“The only interest they have in you at any one time is on a certain day when the election’s on,” Mr Newman told Sky News.\n\n“They are only interested in you on one day of their tenure of office, and that’s when you try and elect them or not elect them.\n\n“If you’re unprincipled and disingenuous when you campaign to be elected, when you do get elected you probably will be unprincipled and disingenuous when you’re in government.”\n
Read more »
The Victorian government has 'broken all rights to stay in office': Murray | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Paul Murray says the Victorian government, by it’s own standards, has broken all rights to stay in office. \n\nHis comment comes after it was revealed 768 people contracted and died of COVID-19 as a result of the spread of the virus through mismanagement of hotel quarantine. \n\nMr Murray said the Andrews government had “passed laws which said the suits in the boardrooms of Melbourne would be held personally responsible if someone died as a result of a safety problem on a construction site.”\n\n“Well, 760 people have died as a result of the decision not to put police or the ADF on guard in those hotel rooms,” he said. \n\nMr Murray said Daniel Andrews had sat in National Cabinet, where other states discussed what they were doing to manage the virus. \n\n“For some reason, he never realised or ever brought it up that Victoria was doing something different - and Victoria was doing something different because the police said they didn’t want to do the job,” he said. \n\n“Ministers did not question that decision.\n\n“The premier did not question that decision.\n\n“768 people are dead as a result of that decision.\n\n“The same parliament, the same cabinet, the same ministers, the same premier, who passed a law that said, if you’re a suit, in that building company, you’ll be personally responsible if someone dies on your watch.\n\n“Well what does accountability mean when its 768 people premier.”\n
Read more »