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A BERD in the hand
Nicholas Gruen | May 19, 2011On 5 May 2011 The Australian Business Foundation released The BERD in the hand: Supporting Business Investment in Research and Development which I authored.
Both Narelle Kennedy of the Australian Business Foundation and myself were members of the Cutler Review which proposed changing the existing R&D tax concession. The paper argues that the government’s proposed scheme is a big improvement on the status quo. It is likely to boost R&D undertaken by small businesses and it gives Australia more value for money from its R&D spend.
You can download the full report from the Australian Business Foundation here.
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UncategorisedPolitics & Technology
editor | May 19, 2011
"Yes, blogs are good. So is Facebook. So is Youtube. Even Twitter has its uses, but if a candidate doesn’t get to grips with email communication he or she should be deselected". Register for FREE to hear Iain Dale’s Keynote (ticket code ‘dale’).
Big Data: Our Future or Censor?
Malcolm Crompton | May 18, 2011Can we gain from the enormous economic benefits of Big Data while maintaining privacy? Is it time for an ethical approach to Search and Personalisation?
We have a choice in front of us: Big Data is emerging as one of THE Big Issues.
It has immense potential to provide us with economic gain, offer individuals free and made-just-for-them services, drive innovation and much, much more.
So where is the catch?
And yes, there is a catch or two. Just like so many ‘too good to be true’ stories, we need to be careful that this one too doesn’t end up that way.
Here are three evidence points.
Can we afford $40 a tonne for carbon?
John Kirk | May 17, 2011Our challenge is to pin-point what the tipping price is to motivate Australian industry to start innovating.
Much of the debate in the news over the last few days has been over the actual price of the soon to be carbon tax. It has been suggested that a tax of $40 will be the going rate whilst Labor Party Minister Combet says that it will start at much less than that.
A sustainable trend
Fiona MacDonald | May 15, 2011Despite popular thought, there is a more down-to-earth side of the Sydney Fashion Weekend, it's a new trend which has been labelled 'eco-fashion' presenting the sustainable side of fashion.
With Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) over for another year and every self-respecting style enthusiast left dreaming of a new wardrobe, Fashion Weekend descends upon Sydney. It’s a glamorous experience with runway shows, champagne and designer pieces. But at heart, it’s a shopping event – an excuse for Sydney-siders to put their money where their mind is and consume.
Carbon Tax: Getting our value from the revenue
John Kirk | May 1, 2011The introduction of a carbon price has been one of the more controversial decisions from the federal government’s Clean Energy Future plan. John Kirk will be keeping a close eye on where the revenue raised from this tax goes.
Do we need a price on carbon emissions? In my opinion there is no doubt that it is necessary. The big question is how to make sure Australia derives the most benefit from funds raised through the tax.
The only way we as a community will begin to understand the ramifications of our individual carbon emissions is to have a price put on them. Will this stop us from using electricity, driving cars, or continuing to use products that require intensive carbon emissions? Not if history is an indicator.
Politics & Technology
Iain Dale | April 27, 2011I’m delighted to have been invited to visit Australia in June to be the keynote speaker at The Microsoft Australia Politics and Technology Forum.
I am highly political but completely untechnological, and yet I am regarded as being at the forefront of political technology in Britain; purely because over the last seven or eight years I have used technology to promote my own political career and then advance my media presence.
So successful have I been that I am now a radio talk show host, rather than a Member of Parliament. But despite that, I think I have learned some important lessons along the way.
Don’t Tread on My Privacy
Malcolm Crompton | April 27, 2011One troubling implication for privacy with technological and policy development today is the unyielding belief that if somebody considers that something enhances our lives, it should be done.
We are living in a world where our ability to remain private is rapidly diminishing. A recent article highlights that through data analytics, corporations will be able to track our activities, habits and locations with unprecedented precision.
Sustainable solutions in 2011 – going beyond lighting sensors
Scott Warren | April 27, 2011As technology evolves so the capabilities of energy efficient technologies. Big changes lay ahead for the industry of sustainable solutions.
Do we trust the internet?
Sassoon Grigorian | April 21, 2011This and much more will be discussed when UK’s leading political blogger – Iain Dale, will be addressing Microsoft’s 3rd Politics and Technology Forum: Openness and Transparency in Politics.
