What will change under Turnbull?

Analysts and observers are optimistic that former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull’s track record of technological enthusiasm will translate into a prime ministership more focused on developing a robust digital economy than any before it.

The new prime minister’s love of technology has long been popularly documented in his frequent Twitter, Instagram and blog posts, in which he argued policy positions and directly engaged with his constituents to a degree unmatched across the public service.

This affinity for digital technologies set him apart from former PM Tony “I’m no Bill Gates” Abbott and translated into portfolio initiatives such as the establishment of the Digital Transformation Office (DTO), which is pushing a digitally empowered customer-service culture through Commonwealth agencies.

Glenn Archer, a former Australian government CIO who now serves as research vice-president in Gartner’s public sector research group, told GTR that Turnbull’s “particular passion” would prove to be a significant asset during his tenure as prime minister.

“We’ve had a complete absence of any debate around the issue of digital government and digital productivity outside of Minister Turnbull,” Archer said.

“He has an interest in the degree to which digital underpins not just the operation of government, but in fact has the potential to profoundly support the economy of the country. That isn’t a debate that we’ve had anywhere at a government level, at all.”

Sean Sammon, CEO and director of government-focused strategic consultancy Bastion S&GO, believes Turnbull’s social-media nous would push the prime ministership to a new level of transparency and accessibility.

Whereas Tony Abbott was a reluctant user and dismissive sceptic of social media, Turnbull’s history of embracing it reflected his “very savvy” nature, Sammon explained.

“He utilised his blog and website exceptionally well,” he said, also singling out politicians such as Ed Husic, Mike Baird and Simon Birmingham for their progressive attitude to online social engagement.

“Turnbull is a clear communicator,” Sammon continued, “and with Turnbull coming in, social media is a much more accepted form of communication in a formal sense. It will be very interesting to watch how he utilises his social-media strategy as PM, and how he can encourage others to do the same.”

Even as some admired Turnbull’s transformation agenda, others were hoping his new role as prime minister would put him in the position to speed the rollout of the national broadband network (NBN), a massive change project that attracted criticism when its budget was recently revised upward.

Internet industry peak body Internet Australia called on Turnbull to leave behind the Abbott government’s “failure to understand the importance of the internet” and to fast-track the nbn rollout, noting that Australia was falling behind other OECD countries in global broadband rankings.

“We cannot allow this to continue,” CEO Laurie Patton said in a statement. “The internet is the engine that will drive innovation and create much needed 21st-century jobs. History will decide what is the best broadband technology for a vast country like ours. But history will certainly judge us poorly if we lag behind in the next era of global innovation because we failed to deliver an open and accessible internet.”

Prime Minister Turnbull has yet to revisit his position on the nbn, which is continuing its rollout under the leadership of Turnbull-appointed CEO Bill Morrow. Regardless of any change to the nbn policy, however, Archer believes Turnbull’s technological credentials will reshape the underlying policy assumptions around government service delivery.

“The world is changing,” Archer said, “and the new prime minister recognises that.

“At both a national level, and at a government operational and performance level, we will see that reflected in his future policy positions. He does ‘get it’, and that has changed the nature of the debate within the comms portfolio — and I’m sure that will ultimately be reflected in his future prime ministership.”