Writer
Laurie Patton
Laurie Patton is a prominent public interest advocacy and marketing/communications practitioner. He is a former political advisor, journalist and media executive. He is the NSW regional convenor for the Australian Republic Movement.
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We have the right to expect certain standards, rules and regulations to apply to political staffers
For political staffers to be effective, and therefore justifiably paid for by the public, they need to be governed in a manner that protects them to the same extent as public servants who do their job diligently and honestly. Their role should not be elevated to the point that they become a highly visible part Continue reading »
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Double fault: a pandemic of government incompetence
Novak Djokovic may have thought he’d beaten the system when he entered Australia. Instead he shone a light on our government’s lack of accountability. Continue reading »
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New Australian republic model gives everyone a say on our head of state
Other than allowing us to choose our head of state, the Australian Choice model leaves intact the Westminster system’s checks and balances. Continue reading »
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Space invaders: better broadband or sky vandalism?
We must ensure that private companies placing objects in space don’t create another environmental disaster like the plastic pollution in our oceans. Continue reading »
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Assange ruling sensible, but no implications for press freedom
The judge accepted the legal arguments presented by US lawyers, saw no inherent threat of potential injustice, but denied the extradition request on health grounds. However, dumping, unfiltered, thousands of files on to the web is not journalism. Continue reading »
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NBN update. Let’s not compound a history of poor policymaking by people who claim to be good economic managers
In years to come Malcolm Turnbull will be remembered as the communications minister who, under instruction from then prime minister Tony Abbott, ‘demolished’ Labor’s 21st Century National Broadband Network. But another prominent politician had earlier inflicted enduring damage to any nascent aim of becoming an innovation nation and set us back as a player in Continue reading »
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Data Retention – An act of blindness
A Parliamentary Joint Committee on Security and Intelligence (PJCIS) report into the Data Retention Act has made 22 recommendations that, if accepted, would lead to increased transparency, raise the threshold for when data can be accessed, and reduce overall access to our telecommunications data. Continue reading »
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A white flag moment on the NBN was inevitable.
This week’s capitulation – that’s what it is – by communications minister Paul Fletcher sets us on a course that hopefully will see Australia start moving in the right direction again as we head further into a digitally-enabled future. It’s a welcomed move, but we’d be wise to take a close look at the detail Continue reading »
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NBN Debacle. Wherefore art thou, minister?
What has been described as the country’s all-time biggest infrastructure debacle – the National Broadband Network – is a financial and technological mess. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. The Opposition Leader is correct. We need a decentralisation plan
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is right. In his latest vision speech he pointed to the benefits of decentralisation. It’s time we stopped cramming more and more people into already overcrowded cities. Continue reading »
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Badly designed. Badly marketed. The virus that has infected the Australian government
In the same week that Labor front-benchers Kristina Keneally and Tim Watts released a discussion paper examining Australia’s cyber resilience the Government was battling to convince us to download an app that IT experts and lawyers warn has basic design flaws. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Three Blind Mice – Caught in the Netflix trap
Australia’s commercial television networks are in trouble. Not simply because of the Coronavirus but because they failed to develop effective strategies to counter the arrival of Netflix and other ‘streaming’ platforms – something anticipated long before it happened. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Public administration accountability is not what it used to be!
Blame shifting between state and federal government agencies over how a cruise ship carrying people suspected to have the Coronavirus was allowed into the port of Sydney has shown up, yet again, the lack of public administration accountability in this country. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. A virtual solution to 21st Century government
As most of us are holed-up in our homes working or studying online as a response to the Coronavirus a bunch of politicians are ignoring medical advice and gathering together in Canberra. Perhaps it’s time for a virtual parliament? Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Let’s add fixing the NBN to our post Coronavirus planning
People are being required to work from home. Students are doing lessons online. Telehealth consultations are now being bulk-billed. All this will change the way we use the Internet forever. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. An opportunity for the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to prove its mettle
The National COVID-19 Coordination Commission provides an opportunity for Australia to start planning for a post Coronavirus era – let’s begin by fixing the NBN. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Telstra bells the broadband cat and spays NBN Co.
Telstra’s decision this week to only offer a maximum 50Mbps plan to more than half its NBN customers is another setback in the quest for #BetterBroadband. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. School’s Out – Time for better governance and oversight in the education sector
The principal resigned, his deputy stood aside, but apparently the school board knew nothing. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Sports rorts shows need for public sector re-think
The buck has to stop somewhere. Despite the prime minister’s best efforts when it comes to the so-called ‘sport rorts’ affair it’s unlikely to stop with a temporarily sacked minister. Continue reading »
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How the OTIS group did Albanese a favour
A group of disgruntled federal Labor politicians known as the OTIS group and dubbed by some the ‘outside the inner sanctum group’ has helped Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in a number of ways they probably didn’t intend. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. NBN latest: Oh dear, what can the matter be?
I’ve argued before, the only viable solution is to start replacing all the dud technology and that requires that we take the politics out and develop a bipartisan solution. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. The Data Retention Act. How not to introduce complex legislation.
Appearing before a Parliamentary inquiry into the Data Retention Act the Commonwealth Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe revealed that law enforcement agencies have obtained individuals’ web browsing history without a warrant. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Overexposed – let’s hear from someone else!
In the film classic Casablanca, whenever a crime is committed the local police captain orders his officers to round up the usual suspects. Political commentary, in fact public commentary in general in Australia suffers from the Casablanca effect. The same old bunch of over-opinionated fringe players who see themselves as instant experts on anything and Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. It’s now or never for the NBN
Last week submissions closed for a parliamentary inquiry into the National Broadband Network. TelSoc, of which I recently became vice-president, lodged a submission prepared by a working group of highly qualified industry experts. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Catch 22.0 – We wouldn’t need inquiries if public administration wasn’t so broken – UPDATED
Predictably, we are seeing calls for a Royal Commission into the bushfires that have Australia in crisis mode right now – either in the genuine hope of finding answers or finding someone to blame. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. My New Year’s wish – more collaborative technology policy development
A report released by communications minister Paul Fletcher has confirmed that so-called ‘Internet piracy’ declined dramatically following the arrival of Netflix and other online streaming services – debunking the need for ‘site-blocking’ laws controversially introduced following a well-funded lobbying effort by local representatives of the Hollywood studios. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Unintended consequences: How NSW planning laws have stolen democracy from ratepayers
One of the fundamental principles of the democratic system enjoyed in Australia for more than 200 years is the right to make representations to your local MP, or in the case of local government to your elected councillors. Regrettably, changes made last year to NSW planning laws have denied ratepayers this ability and effectively handed Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. The Assange dilemma updated. What is journalism in the online age?
It’s time for more humane treatment of Julian Assange. Guilt or innocence aside nobody should be treated the way he is allegedly being treated. More than 60 doctors have now written an open letter to the UK authorities saying he suffers from psychological problems including depression, dental issues and a serious shoulder ailment. They want Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. OK Boomer – know thine enemy
In the 20th Century each successive generation fared better than their parents, both socially and financially. The likelihood is that trend will continue this century – if we all work together finding solutions to the very serious problems facing the environment and we leverage the benefits accruing from the emerging digitally-enabled global economy. There has Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Catch 22.0 – we wouldn’t need inquiries if public administration wasn’t so broken
On ABC Insiders host Fran Kelly asked health minister Greg Hunt why the Government didn’t have an immediate response ready on the aged care royal commission report just released. “It wasn’t a surprise to anyone, was it”, Ms Kelly observed with obvious frustration. Continue reading »
