When Jeremy Rockliff decided to leave a dedicated Science and Technology minister out of his cabinet, it raised concerns within the ICT community, so we feel stoked that they have finally listened to our repeated calls to appoint one.

Michael Ferguson’s failure in the Infrastructure portfolio and resignation as Minister just four months into the new Parliament has provided an excuse for Jeremy Rockliff to reinstate the Science and Technology portfolio after forgetting to include one in his cabinet after the March state election.

TasICT represents a $1.7 billion industry in Tasmania, employing 11,000 people with that number set to hit 18,000 by 2030.

In order for Tasmania to be taken seriously on science and technology, and make sure we don’t get left behind, it had to happen and it’s crucial that we do have a dedicated Science and Technology Minister.

In 2024, when technology will define our economic fortunes more than anything else this century, the Liberals also have a policy that will prevent UTAS from investing half a billion dollars in science and technology. Unbelievable. 

The Liberals are always putting their political self-interest above Tasmania’s interest, a strong future of jobs in the sector, and the ability for science and technology to play a major role in our future economy.

Janie Finlay MP
Shadow Minister for Science and Technology