By Angela Dorizas

Labor and the Coalition must show leadership and innovation in their use of information and communication technology, the ICT industry’s peak body has said.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has delivered its 2010 Federal Election manifesto, calling on both major parties to commit to policies and programs that would position Australia as a leader in the global digital economy.

AIIA has called on the elected government to improve its use of ICT to “deliver progressive citizen services”.

“This must include early engagement with industry to highlight key opportunities for improvement,” the AIIA states.

Other recommendations include the creation of a new portfolio of the Minister for Productivity to achieve widespread deployment of ICT and increased productivity; the rapid rollout of ubiquitous high-speed broadband infrastructure to all Australian premises; rapid acceleration of e-health uptake; and further investment in the digital economy.

Access the full report: AIIA 2010 Election Manifesto