Your voice in Canberra: DGA meets with Government

During September, Jodie Sangster (CEO) and Irene Halforty (Legal & Regulatory Affairs Manager) were in Canberra as part of DGA’s advocacy strategy, for a series of high-level government meetings with various Departments and Ministers including:

• the Taskforce from Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
• the Treasury, Structural Reform Group
• the office of Minister Fifield, Minister for Communications and the Arts,
• the office of the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Bill Shorten,
• the office of Senator Nick Xenophon,
• the office of Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and
• Senator Sarah Hanson-Young overseeing the Communications portfolio for the Greens.

These meetings were focused around innovation policy and DGA’s initiatives to safeguard Australia’s data future. The meetings were constructive with great interest and encouragement expressed by government in relation to DGA’s initiative for a principles-based self-regulatory regime.

In addition, DGA continues to regularly engage with the Taskforce to clarify the intended operation and scope of a consumer right to data portability, with the Taskforce indicating that the scope of right is likely to be determined on a sector-by-sector basis. The purpose of the recommended right is to remove the friction of moving services and to increase competitive offerings for consumers.  DGA is currently in the process of developing an adequate solution to data portability issues that will deliver the intended outcomes for consumers (i.e. ease of switching and increasing competitive offerings) while protecting the investment made by industry and business in data.

DGA will continue to collaboratively work with the PM&C to ensure a flexible and effective self-regulatory regime that will engender consumer trust and confidence in the data-practices of by industry while driving data innovation.