Latest news with #MarkSpeakman
Economic Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Australia to have its first AI minister in shocking plan to save nurses and teachers from boring paperwork
Australia to Appoint First AI Minister Under NSW Plan to Help Teachers and Nurses Focus on What Matters Imagine a classroom or hospital where educators and healthcare workers spend more time caring and less time on paperwork. That's the vision behind NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman's bold proposal for Australia's first-ever Minister for Artificial Intelligence, a move designed to liberate frontline public workers from routine chores and boost productivity. Speakman said this new minister would spearhead a statewide AI strategy. 'It can relieve our teachers, our nurses, a whole lot of public‑sector workers of mundane tasks, improve productivity, and drive every tax dollar further,' he told NewsWire . The plan includes not only a dedicated ministry and AI national action plan but also low‑interest 'AI for Biz' loans to help small and medium businesses adopt 'responsible AI'. Speakman aims to follow countries like Canada, France, the UAE, and Taiwan, which already have AI ministers or similar offices. He argues that by pushing innovation, NSW won't lag. 'Every technological change has increased living standards,' he said. 'I want Australia and NSW to be leaders of that, not followers.' Not everyone is ready to sign off. Troy Wright, assistant general secretary of the Public Service Association, warned that AI 'has thus far failed because it lacks empathy' in public‑facing trials. He urges caution, especially with sensitive data. 'Keeping that secure must be our number‑one priority,' he says. Speakman counters that the AI Minister would also oversee re‑skilling workers to ensure technology augments, not replaces, jobs. He draws an analogy with Luddites, arguing that past fears of technology were ultimately proven wrong and that AI will create more and more productive jobs. Delivering a budget reply speech in late June, Speakman branded the timing urgent amid rising living costs and criticisms of the Minns Labor government's spending. He framed AI as a means to stretch every tax dollar meanwhile, is focusing on other pressing issues, housing shortfalls, health care expansion, and small‑business support. Whether AI earns a formal ministry remains to be seen.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Australia to have its first AI minister in shocking plan to save nurses and teachers from boring paperwork
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Imagine a classroom or hospital where educators and healthcare workers spend more time caring and less time on paperwork. That's the vision behind NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman's bold proposal for Australia's first-ever Minister for Artificial Intelligence , a move designed to liberate frontline public workers from routine chores and boost said this new minister would spearhead a statewide AI strategy. 'It can relieve our teachers, our nurses, a whole lot of public‑sector workers of mundane tasks, improve productivity, and drive every tax dollar further,' he told NewsWire. The plan includes not only a dedicated ministry and AI national action plan but also low‑interest 'AI for Biz' loans to help small and medium businesses adopt 'responsible AI'.Speakman aims to follow countries like Canada, France, the UAE, and Taiwan, which already have AI ministers or similar offices. He argues that by pushing innovation, NSW won't lag. 'Every technological change has increased living standards,' he said. 'I want Australia and NSW to be leaders of that, not followers.' Not everyone is ready to sign off. Troy Wright, assistant general secretary of the Public Service Association , warned that AI 'has thus far failed because it lacks empathy' in public‑facing trials. He urges caution, especially with sensitive data. 'Keeping that secure must be our number‑one priority,' he counters that the AI Minister would also oversee re‑skilling workers to ensure technology augments, not replaces, jobs. He draws an analogy with Luddites, arguing that past fears of technology were ultimately proven wrong and that AI will create more and more productive a budget reply speech in late June, Speakman branded the timing urgent amid rising living costs and criticisms of the Minns Labor government's spending. He framed AI as a means to stretch every tax dollar meanwhile, is focusing on other pressing issues, housing shortfalls, health care expansion, and small‑business support. Whether AI earns a formal ministry remains to be seen.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman says AI Minister would free teachers, nurses from ‘mundane tasks'
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman says an Australia-first Minister for Artificial Intelligence would free teachers and nurses from 'mundane tasks', as the Coalition twists the knife on Labor over AI and housing. The Liberal leader made his pitch for an AI-driven solution to NSW's productivity crisis during a scathing budget reply speech on Thursday. Mr Speakman said a Coalition government would establish a Minister for AI and an AI action plan, as well as low-interest 'AI for Biz' loans for small and medium-sized business looking to introduce 'responsible AI'. In an exclusive interview, Mr Speakman shed new light on the potential remit of the Australian-first minister, which he said would engage with the private sector to ensure the public service was 'using AI as much as possible'. 'It can relieve our teachers, our nurses, a whole lot of public sector workers of mundane tasks, improve productivity, and drive every tax dollar further,' he said. 'At a time when we've all got a cost-of-living crisis, we want to see our taxpayer dollars go as far as possible, and we think that (AI) is a great way to drive it. 'Every technological change has increased living standards and I want Australia and NSW to be leaders of that, not followers.' If established, the new ministry would be an Australian-first and joins only a small handful of countries that have similar AI-specific government roles, including Canada, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan. Asked about fears AI might take jobs, Mr Speakman recalled the anti-technology 19th century Luddites, who 'threw their shoes in machines'. 'Every time you've had major technological change in the history of humankind that's been a fear,' Mr Speakman said of job losses. 'Across the economy, it'll be impacted (by AI) but I think you'll end up with more jobs, not fewer. 'There'll be very different jobs and more productive jobs and ultimately higher living standards.' Mr Speakman said that there may be 'different jobs' with AI, but that it 'doesn't take them away', and that the AI Minister would be responsible for re-skilling. While increasingly commonplace, AI remains a controversial topic in many workplaces. Public Service Association Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright said AI had 'thus far failed because it lacks the empathy of a human' in public facing role trials. 'We need to think twice before we set AI loose in the public sector because we store a lot of the public's confidential and personal information and keeping that secure must be our number one priority,' he said. 'We do agree about the need to closely monitor the use of AI in the public sector and will be consulting with the Minns Government on their approach so the public can rest assured both that their personal information is safe and they have timely access to the frontline services they're entitled to.' Housing the 'biggest issue in town' It comes as the Coalition twists the knife on Labor following its third budget under Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, and less than two years out from the next state election. Mr Speakman has accused Labor of not doing enough on cost of living, and has pledged to reinstate the Full Active Kids Program, establish a 'fairer' payroll tax scheme for small businesses, as well as preventive health hubs, expanded telehealth, and prioritising emergency care. But, it was housing that Mr Speakman was the 'biggest issue in town'. He claimed the budget showed Labor would fall 137,000 homes short of the National Housing Accord target. 'Ultimately, the price of anything, whether you're a rent or buy, is a product of supply and demand,' he said. 'But, the government is failing to get the number of home completions we need to ramp up supply to make our homes affordable.' Mr Speakman called for government to address the 'biggest obstacles', namely taxes and charges on developers, as well as critical adjoining infrastructure. He said a Coalition government would reintroduce the First Homebuyers Choice Program and exempting stamp duty for eligible older Australians looking to downsize. It comes as NSW Premier Chris Minns remains mum on the state government's so-called 'Plan B' for housing close to the city after the failure of the Rosehill purchase. Members of the Australian Turf Club last month voted to reject a $5bn deal for the historic racecourse, which would have paved the way for 25,000 new homes. Asked about whether the Coalition had its own 'Plan B', Mr Speakman said to 'wait and see' and highlighted the party's own 2022 plan for Rosehill. The Labor government announced a range of housing measures in the 2025-26 budget, including that the state will go guarantor for developers on some 5000 homes.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman pledges AI rollout as part of NSW budget response
Artificial intelligence (AI) would be rolled out across government agencies and free loans offered to businesses adopting the technology, if the Coalition was running New South Wales. In reply to the state budget on Thursday, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman revealed the alternative government's plan to embrace the technological revolution, including establishing the state's first minister for AI. Mr Speakman said Labor had failed to address low productivity growth, which the budget papers forecasted to continue absent "meaningful reforms or a major technological breakthrough". "A Coalition government would embrace, would embed, responsible artificial intelligence across public service processes," Mr Speakman told the legislative assembly. Mr Speakman said the idea was "to improve services, to free up teachers, healthcare professionals and public servants" and alleviate "unnecessary administrative burdens". He said a Liberal-National government would bring in a zero-or-low-interest loan scheme for small and medium businesses looking to introduce "responsible AI" into their operations. On housing policy, the Coalition vowed to pause charges imposed on developers in a bid to make home building more viable and boost stock. Under the Housing and Productivity Contribution, developers are required to pay up to $12,000 per unit in Greater Sydney. The Property Council of Australia said on Tuesday up to 40 per cent of the cost of a development consisted of state and local charges. Mr Speakman said the contribution would not be charged until the end of the National Housing Accord, which runs until July 2029. "Affordability starts with supply. Supply starts with government that gets out of the way, not one that stacks on more costs," he said. The Coalition launched an attack over what it called a "slush fund" of more than $868,000 in the budget. According to the budget papers, the "special appropriation" fund for the treasurer is for spending related to "state contingencies … election commitments and essential services". Mr Speakman told parliament the fund was "so broadly defined that it could be used for almost anything". "If the government has specific plans for this funding, the public deserves to know," he said. A special appropriation fund is a standard feature of budgets, but the amount has risen significantly from the $178 million allocation in last year's budget. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said it was "obvious" why there was a higher level of contingency funding. "Members can examine the events of May in NSW and reach their own conclusion," he said, in an apparent reference to last month's flood disaster. The budget Dominic Perrottet delivered as treasurer in 2021-22 contained $806 million for "COVID-19-related expenses" as well as "changes in wage awards and conditions". Extra expenses that could come out of this year's fund include wage rises ordered by the Industrial Relations Commission and the cost of running the Northern Beaches Hospital if the government was to take over the facility.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman pledges to establish AI minister
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has pledged to establish a minister for artificial intelligence and slammed the Labor government's budget as a 'Band-Aid' written in 'red ink' amid soaring cost of living. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey delivered Labor's third budget on Tuesday, with a new housing developer guarantee scheme and funding for vulnerable children. In his budget reply speech, Mr Speakman pledged to address low productivity growth in the state, which the budget said would continue 'without meaningful technological breakthrough', by embracing 'responsible artificial intelligence across public service processes'. Mr Speakman said the controversial technology would improve services and free up teachers, healthcare professionals and public servants to 'engage directly with people in problems, instead of being tied up with unnecessary administrative burdens'. 'This work would be preceded by the development of an AI opportunities action plan, as in the UK, overseen by a dedicated minister for artificial intelligence,' he said. 'For small and medium business owners looking to get ahead using AI, a Coalition government would set 'AI for biz' – a zero, low-interest loan scheme for small and medium businesses looking to introduce responsible AI into their business operations.' Mr Speakman used his address on Thursday to make his pitch on what a future Coalition government would look like, more details of which would emerge in the many months to come before the next state election. Among his pledges were to advocate for the restoration of the First Home Buyer Choice Program, 'removing the burden of stamp duty for young people trying to get into the market', and exempting stamp duty for eligible older Australians looking to downsize. On cost of living, Mr Speakman said he would call on the state government to reinstate the Full Active Kids Program as well as introduce a 'fairer' payroll tax scheme for small and medium-sized businesses, establish preventive health hubs, expand telehealth, and prioritise emergency care. Mr Speakman earlier praised the former Coalition government as the state's 'most successful' and accused Labor of failing to deliver more infrastructure. 'Labor has no plan to replace the pipeline of projects that have underpinned job creation, economic growth, and service delivery across the state,' he said on Thursday. 'Instead, under Labor, there's a whopping cut of public infrastructure investment as a share of the economy.' Mr Speakman described the budget as being 'written in red ink'. 'A budget of debt, not discipline, a budget of vagaries, not vision, a budget that's about papering over the cracks rather than building for the long term. 'A budget putting Band-Aids on the major problems faced by the state, like housing, cost of living, infrastructure and health. 'A budget that will be forgotten, even if the costs, the waste, and the missed opportunities that it presents linger long afterwards. 'Past this parliament and a budget which, after two years in office, shows the mettle of this government. 'A government sleepwalking through its term already out of steam. 'A government more focused on spin and soft congratulations than results, while everyday people see this state go backwards.' Mr Speakman said Labor had failed to deliver any additional cost-of-living support and was 'investing less in the future while letting debt spiral'. 'It's ordinary families who are paying the price while the government is building less, it's borrowing more on its own,' he said. He went on to describe Labor's projected 2028 budgetary surplus as a 'fairytale'. He noted there was also no provision in the budget for potential public service wage rises above the government's current offer. Originally published as NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman pledges to establish AI minister in budget reply
