Communications and IT

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Not set out on their website.

• Establish a new Broadcasting body or Broadcasting Commission to set rules relating to any obligations attached to the right to broadcast such as minimum local content quotas; as well as issues relating to digital convergence, cross-media and multi-media ownership, and monitor and enforce those rules. This new body will undertake a range of related functions, in respect of spectrum pricing, access rules and common standards for broadcast platforms, and the timing of the "analogue switch-off" (these are further detailed in the relevant sections of this policy statement).
• Introduce a minimum number of hours of locally made children's television that free to air television channels are required to screen.
• Bring three existing media industry organisations: the Advertising Standards Authority, the Broadcasting Standards Authority and the Press Council, into a common framework based on the principle of responsible self regulation.
• Consider delaying the switch-off of analogue broadcast services until an appropriate democratic solution is developed and in place, including a common standard and minimum technical specification for a generic "set top box", so that consumers do not have to purchase separate receivers for Freeview, Sky TV, and any other entrants into the digital broadcasting market. (more here)
• Take the lead in Free Open-Source software procurement by not automatically buying from 'market leaders' (e.g. The Green Party will not automatically buy from Microsoft).
• Support the review of the Privacy Act 1993 and the Official Information Act 1982, to improve the public's access to information and ensure that there are effective reviews in place for those who do not receive the requested information or consider that information held about them is incorrect. (more here)

• Address the current skills shortage in the ICT sector and wider community by promoting digital careers, matching tertiary courses to IT industry needs and attracting more skilled ICT practitioners to New Zealand
• Lift the number of IT Industry interns from 200 to 1000 nationwide.
• Establish a Ministry of Communications and IT, based in the Ministry of Economic Development, to bring together all policy involving broadcasting, communications and information technology issues.
• Establish an independent network regulator to investigate the impact of monopolies in both the telecommunications and broadcasting marketplaces.
• Appoint a Chief Technical Advisor, responsible for producing technology roadmaps for New Zealand.
• Investigate a whole of government approach to open source software.
• Introduce a government ‘App store’ to provide a short circuit for fledgling NZ software developers to get to market.
• Set an aspirational target of 2/3 of government agencies using some form of open source software for a reasonable proportion of their software needs by 2015.
• Encourage greater diversity in IT suppliers in the public sector
• Establish a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for open source software development.
• Improve New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy.
• Establish a Computer Emergency Response Team for New Zealand. (more here)

Not set out on their website.

• Work with computer manufacturers to assist with national rollout of Computers in Homes.
• Review the 2008 Digital Strategy to ensure it is meeting the requirements of our digital environment including responding to those with special needs.
• Expand employment opportunities in the information, computer and telecommunications technology sector through Ngā Pū Waea (rural and ultrafast broadband), including Māori cadetship in the digital creative sector.
• Invest in opportunities to migrate Māori educational content into the digital environment (te reo versions of digital publications and books re-versioned in a Māori framework).
• All citizens with access to email will have the option of receiving their mail from government departments via email. Those who opt for this, will receive a government subsidy on their internet connection bill. (more here)

• Roll out the first stage of ultra-fast broadband to businesses, schools, health centres and other priority users in 33 cities and towns around New Zealand.
• Roll out the bulk of our Rural Broadband Initiative and deliver much faster broadband speeds to most of rural New Zealand, using fixed wireless, ADSL, and fibre technologies.
• Connect 97.7 per cent of schools and 99.9 per cent of students to fibre with speeds of at least 100mbps by 2015, with the remaining 60 most remote schools connected by point-to-point wireless or satellite connections.
• Complete the switchover from analogue to digital television by November 2013, and free up the 700MHz frequency band for much faster 4G mobile broadband services.
• Continue the development of the National Cyber Security Centre and the implementation of the New Zealand cyber security plan, to protect critical infrastructure and services and counter the threats of cyber-intrusions. (more here)

• Support the national partnership involving telecommunications companies and the government to develop a realistic timetable for the extension of broadband services into rural areas and hard to service urban areas.
• Create a national "Do Not Call" register, allowing people to list their home phone numbers. Numbers on this register will be legally protected from receiving calls from telemarketers.
• Ban telemarketers from calling anyone between the hours of 6pm and 8am, in any 24 hour period.
• Lower the cost of cell phone usage by ensuring that New Zealand has an open competitive modern telecommunications infrastructure, backed by a sound regulatory framework to protect the public interest;
• Take all necessary steps to safeguard children from harmful internet material, working with the Internet Safety Group and the industry to ensure that filtering software and other appropriate safety measures, including effective Codes of Practice, are adopted. (more here)