[This article was first published in Crikey on Wednesday, based on Senator Conroy's keynote speech to the Digital Economy Forum. See below for updates.]

“The Rudd Government is focused on creating a platform for economic growth and is committed to leading and growing our digital economy,” generalised Senator Stephen Conroy as he opened the Digital Economy Forum in Melbourne [on Wednesday morning].

His keynote speech regurgitated budget promises, generously sprinkled with doubleplusgood words about “encouraging” figures and “driving innovation”.

Uh oh. A “Digital Economy Forum”? Already I’m seeing blokes in suits jostling for room at the trough of government largesse. So who’s at this all-day talkfest? Aha! The CEO of Fairfax Digital; reps from Cisco, Google and Intel; a past president of the Australian Computer Society, the CEO of the Australian Internet Industry Association (which overwhelmingly represents big players); the Research Director for Ovum (presumably representing their big clients)… all the usual suspects.

But if the government is truly committed to supporting innovation and economic growth, where’s the involvement from small business?

As the latest ABS figures remind us, “Most business entries (93%) continued to occur in the micro business population, which comprises non-employing businesses and businesses employing between 1-4 employees.” Despite news stories about “business” being illustrated with images of office towers, factories and coal mines, the median business is actually a sole trader, often working from home, perhaps with a part-time bookkeeper.

The Forum is a follow-up to workshops held in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne.

“A valuable opportunity for Government to hear from a range of stakeholders on the future directions of the digital economy,” Conroy said.

Stakeholders. I see blokes in suits again.

Let’s decode the Senator’s speech…

“Most stakeholders agreed about the importance of Government investments in the digital economy — in particular the National Broadband Network and the Digital Education Revolution.”

Translation: Yes, gifts of $4.7B and $1.2B would be nice.

“Participants also agreed that there is a key role to be played by the private sector by collaborating within industry and with the Government.”

Translation: Please give the money to us.

“Many participants argued that ‘industry development issues’ are critical.”

Translation: It’s critical that you give the money to us.

“The shortage of professional ICT skills was also a recurrent theme in all three workshops.”

Translation: We’d also like you to pay to train our staff.

“Ladies and gentlemen — and this is something I’ve been emphasising a lot of late — the Rudd Government hears the industry loud and clear on these issues.”

Translation: Yes, the taxpayers will bend over and you may rifle their pockets.

As we go to press, the forum’s still got half a day to run. But once the big end of town has finished gorging itself, I don’t think there’ll be much left for the 1,171,832 (58%) non-employing businesses, or the 755,758 who employ less than 20 employees but who make up 90% of employers.

Post-Crikey Update

As it turns out, there was some representation from small business.

Crikey commenter George Fong wrote:

A pity you were not there for the workshops. A pity you did not stay for the full event. A pity you did not stay for the discourse and robust exchanges between Dr Geneveive Bell, Greg Stone, Paul Twomey and others and The Minister himself on a one to one debate. And a pity you did not note the number of consumer advocacy organisations represented and contributing in the forum, including ATUG and ISOC-AU.

As a representative from Ballarat in regional/rural Victoria and as a person involved with small regional businesses (most of whom have less than 20 people and a turnover of less than $200,000pa), communities and individuals on both the supply and advocacy sides, I have not in a long time felt so optimistic that we finally have an opportunity to speak, to advocate and to participate meaningfully in the formulation Federal policy in relation to a way forward for the people and organisations we represent.

I agree, it’s a pity I wasn’t at the Forum at all, let alone “all day”. Crikey’s deadlines for a lunchtime email are such that articles need to be written before noon. I was writing in response to the Minister’s keynote and the promoted list of participants. It’s good to hear that there was discussion related to small business once things got going — and disappointing that only (mostly) big players get mentioned when such forums are promoted. I’d love to hear what the tangible results were.

Ian Birks, CEO of the AIIA, also took exception to my characterisation of his organisation.

Currently more than 300 of our 500 member companies have revenues under $5million — we advocate for the whole ICT industry and not just the big end of town.

I stand corrected, at least with regard to the claimed representation.

Still, a turnover of $5M is still a pretty decent business. My point is that the vast majority of new businesses are in the micro category. They’d be lucky to have a turnover of half a million, let alone ten times that. The AIIA’s members are also folks who are in the internet industry. What I’m interested in how businesses can be supported who are in the myriad other industries.

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According to Friday’s media release from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA):

bq. The Government has strengthened its ICT advisory group to include peak business bodies to ensure the needs of ICT business users are also considered in the development of ICT priorities.

And minister Helen Coonan says:

bq. ICT offers significant potential to further build economic growth, prosperity and quality of life for all Australians.

But if you look at who’s actually on this board, you wonder whether anyone will ever get past the “build economic growth” issues to that “quality of life” stuff.

You’ve got seven people from the hardware and software industries, someone from labour hire firm Manpower, two from government research bodies CSIRO and NICTA, a token academic and the inevitable representative from Macquarie Bank.

Let’s run through that again. That’s nine from business, two from government, one from academia.

And from the community?

Nil.

Not a single person representing families and how always-on workplace communications might intrude upon their private time. Not a single person representing workers whose jobs might be affected. Not a single representative from health, legal or social welfare organisations, from religious organisations or from anyone who might want to think about privacy issues.

There’s no doubting Steve Vamos’ understanding of the industry, since he previously ran NineMSN and Apple Computer Australia. But how can he possibly frame the board’s agenda to consider all options when his day job _requires_ him to promote the interests of Microsoft above all else?

Since one priority area is “ensuring Government and industry achieve and maintain the best ICT capability over the next five years,” one obvious question is whether open source software would deliver cost savings or more transparency. Mr Vamos cannot _possibly_ chair such a discussion in any credible way.

Linux Australia president Jonathan Oxer gets it right:

bq. ICT is playing a major role across all industry sectors, [but] the counterpoint is that ICT is also a huge contributor to our current trade deficit. It is crucial for the ICT advisory board to do all it can to support local ICT companies so we are not just a consumer [of IT].

If you were putting together the minister’s ICT advisory board, who would you suggest?

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