Queensland ICT bodies deny political interference

Eight industry bodies that sponsor Queensland’s ICT Industry Workgroup have rejected allegations aired by former member Bruce Mills that the group has lost its independence.

Mills last week accused the workgroup of not holding the Government to account and of being “an independent industry body now bought, paid for and gagged by the current Queensland Government.”

The workgroup was a "unified voice for Queensland’s ICT industry associations", according to its website.

Remaining members showed late yesterday they were united in taking issue with Mills' comments.

“The affiliated associations reject Mills' claims of interference without reservation and continue to support the Workgroup in its role as an important advocate for the Queensland ICT industry,” they said in a joint statement.

“We reject any claims that the Workgroup has, or would yield to external pressure, from any quarter,to restrain it from fearlessly presenting the collective views of the Queensland ICT industry,” its statement states.

 Signatories to the release included:

• Australian Computer Society
• Australian Information Industry Association
• Information Technology Contract & Recruitment Association
• IT Forum Gold Coast
• Queensland.NET
• Software Queensland
• Spatial Information Business Association
• Women in Technology

Mills said the joint statement reflected "how spineless the ICT Workgroup has become under the continued pressure from [ICT] Minister [Simon] Finn."

"Their remarks are entirely consistent with their compliant behaviour," he said.

"Personally I suspect that hell will freeze over before they say anything remotely critical of their sponsors."

He accused the workgroup of not responding to a series of questions over the status of a report into Queensland Health's payroll debacle by the workgroup and the latest ICT industry report card.