The Politics of Broadband: Labor and New Information Technology from Hawke to Gillard

Abstract

Labor's broadband policy influenced key regional independents to support the formation of the minority Gillard government. However, analysing information technology policy doesn't only demonstrate continuing differences between Labor and the Coalition. It also demonstrates changing Labor attitudes on issues ranging from neoliberalism, globalisation and social inclusion to conceptions of market failure and the rising power of Asia. In particular, this article compares and contrasts the attitudes of the Rudd government to those of the Hawke and Keating governments, arguing that the Rudd government placed much more emphasis on the role that market failure had played in contributing to Australia's poor broadband provision. The resulting policy involved an increased role for government in rolling out broadband not only to the cities but also to regional Australia. That approach benefitted Gillard. It also reflected ideological differences between not just Labor and the Liberals, but also between Rudd and his Labor predecessors.

Notes

¹Unfortunately, issues of scope and length have not made it possible to analyse the policy recommendations made by key government agencies.

²For general arguments on the social shaping of technology, see MacKenzie and Wajcman (1985). For a more detailed analysis of the social shaping of technology during the Keating period and the role of neoliberalism, see Johnson (2000, 125–8) and Andrews (2006). Australia was not of course alone in the influence of neoliberalism on technology policy, see for example Braun (2006).

³For discussions of conceptions of race and technological superiority see Dinerstein (2006) and Edgerton (2006). On Blair's view of British technological superiority see Johnson (2002, 166–7).

⁴There were also some Liberal state politicians who were ICT enthusiasts, for example Jeff Kennett and Alan Stockdale in Victoria.

⁵On broadband and indigenous communities see Rennie et al. (2010).

⁶See Johnson (2004) for a more detailed analysis of Latham's position on these and other issues, including the significant influence of neoliberalism on his thought.

⁷For a detailed account of Telstra's actions regarding broadband (albeit from a former Optus executive and Liberal staffer), see Fletcher (2009).

⁸For a Liberal account of Liberal policy and its differences with Labor's plan, see Smith and Conroy (2010) and Smith and Robb (2010).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carol Johnson

Carol Johnson is a Professor of Politics at the University of Adelaide. She has published extensively on Australian politics and has a particular interest in how Australian Labor and Liberal governments govern social, economic and technological change. She wishes to thank Leah Skrzypiec for her research assistance on earlier aspects of this project.