Joint Media Release

The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP Minister for Finance and Deregulation

Senator Joe Ludwig Cabinet Secretary Special Minister of State

20/2009
22 June 2009

Rudd Government Launches Government 2.0 Taskforce

A taskforce to investigate how the Australian Government can use new ‘Web 2.0’ approaches to expand the uses of Commonwealth information and improve the way government consults and engages with citizens was launched today by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, and the Special Minister of State, Senator Joe Ludwig.

“Web 2.0 tools and strategies are creating new horizons for informing and engaging the public and indeed for citizens to directly collaborate in the activities of government,” Lindsay Tanner said.

The independent taskforce will be chaired by Dr Nicholas Gruen, Lateral Economics CEO, prominent blogger and one of the key thinkers on regulation and technology in Australia, and will be made up of experts and entrepreneurs from the private and public sectors and academia.

“I’m proud of the progress the Rudd Government is making to improve transparency, accountability and access to information,” Senator Ludwig said.

“This taskforce builds on our FOI reforms to date by seeking to free up government data and information to enhance government accountability. It will also allow business and others to innovate with government information so that it is more useful and compelling to others.”

Under the terms of reference the Taskforce will investigate and make recommendations on how to:

• make government information more accessible and usable — to establish a pro-disclosure culture around non-sensitive public sector information;
• make government more consultative, participatory and transparent — to maximise the extent to which government utilises the views, knowledge and resources of the general community;
• build a culture of online innovation within Government — to ensure that government is receptive to the possibilities created by new collaborative technologies and uses them to advance its ambition to continually improve the way it operates; and
• promote collaboration across agencies with respect to online and information initiatives — to ensure that efficiencies, innovations, knowledge and enthusiasm are shared on a platform of open standards.

Importantly, the Taskforce will not just provide advice to government. It will also be able to fund initiatives and incentives which demonstrate the value of government 2.0 objectives.

Lindsay Tanner said the taskforce would consult widely in its work including via its blog: www.gov2.net.au

The Taskforce will report to the Government by the end of 2009.

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Media Contacts:	Website:
Minister Tanner’s Office - Nardia Dazkiw - 0418 144 690	www.financeminister.gov.au
Minister Ludwig’s Office - Sarah Cosson - 0423 823 843	www.smos.gov.au

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Last Updated: 9 July, 2009