Ministers who do not ensure their departments work to deliver key e-government projects will be subject to the "heavy hand" of Special Minister of State Gary Nairn, who told a gathering at Canberra's Parliament House the new money-saving strategy, endorsed by Cabinet, needed the co-operation of all agencies.
Mr Nairn's comments again signal the importance the Howard Government places on electronic governance and savings associated with the strategy.
When AGIMO was moved from the Department of Communications to Finance after the 2004 election, John Howard highlighted the expected importance e-government would play during the term.
In Finance, it is believed AGIMO has more clout, as the department controls the Government's purse strings.
"It is important that all areas of government understand this strategy and co-operate," Mr Nairn said at the launch of the strategy last Thursday.
"I might have to apply a heavy hand with some of my ministers to ensure that they are really focused on it, and that their particular departments are focused on this issue, so that we can work together and work consistently to achieve consistency between systems, between departments, and not have one sector of government heading off on a tangent."
Mr Nairn said the strategy, based on a single sign-on for all government transactions, "enables government to be more efficient, and provide great value for money.
Citizens wouldn't necessarily have to understand the structure of government to interact with it.
The new strategy would cut down red tape, he said.
Autor: Selina Mitchell
Quelle: Autralian IT, 03.04.2006
