LinkUS Columbus’ Post

Our CEO Leo fixed this headline for heraldsun - but we see similar headlines time again from publication after publication. We know how powerful language is, and the language we choose to use matters. Rented homes are homes - failing to recognise this is a big part of our renting issues, including that no grounds evictions are still allowed in most states and territories. We need Government to follow through on reform promises to end no grounds evictions because rental homes are our homes - not just properties - (and we also want better considered headlines.)

Last month GovTech Australia's submission to the 'Inquiry into supporting the development of sovereign capability in the Australian tech sector' was accepted and can be found here (No. 39): https://lnkd.in/g7QM8u8G TL:DR summary: GovTech Australia proposed 3 key solutions: 1. Count-us-in: acknowledge the APS staff augmentation GovTech workers provide as the government’s shadow workforce. Recognise the valuable role SMEs play in delivering the core work of government and compensate us appropriately for the IP, knowledge and experience we bring to government department’s tech capabilities. 2. Back local SME efforts to band together: prioritise consortium bids, pairing arrangements, and buddy-up mechanisms, through collaboration, just-in-time delivery methods and shared resourcing models. Acknowledge our efforts to mitigate risk, exposure and find efficiencies. Allow us opportunities to test interoperability in simulated environments before, during and after procurement takes place. 3. Scrap junk procurement practices: open panels and procurements rounds to sovereign businesses instead of limiting opportunities to the easiest options or smokescreens presented by the MBB, Big 4, Defence Primes and other prestigious tier-1 consultancy firms. Pre-validate SMEs, carve up opportunities into manageable chunks, acknowledge the vendor partnership scams, body-shop and land-and-expand practices. Recognise the costs borne by SMEs to become tender ready and complaint and act to improve processes to reduce these costs. The committee is required to report by 30 June 2024, and the report will be available via the committee’s inquiry webpage at that time. The submissions were vast, varied and insightful, and we urge everyone to see what the sector thinks is important and how we can collectively support this vibrant tech sector, and work toward maturity, growth and successfully build sovereign capability together. If you'd like to discuss GovTech Australia's submission, or anything we are doing to support the Australian Tech Sector and SMEs, reach out to Samantha Maher #Sovereign #GovTechAu #GovTech #TechSector #CapabilityAdoption #StrategicCommunications #TechFixing #BackSMEs #CountUsIn #ScrapJunkProcurement

Working together is the best way forward

As I continue my PhD trying to understand this city and trying to not simplify it to the negatives because of my personal frustrations, it is people like Griffin Shea and Bridge Books that explore the complexity. The Windybrow Arts Centre and their HEY Hillbrow let's dlala Festival and Contra Fair are all initiatives that do not try pretend that all is perfect, but rather highlight the people and potential within the challenges. For the Contra .Joburg event we had to deal with the exploded road which has not been fixed a year later (one of the hubs Asisebenze Art Atelier is right there),a Pikitup strike that left the city disgusting, and no electricity in 3 of the buildings - all of them with four or five floors and no lift! Somehow the event still happened despite the City of Joburg municipality and definitely not because of it!! Where is CoJ arts and culture, CoJ tourism, CoJ SMME department, CoJ economic development, etc. etc.? 'It’s not that nothing gets done in Joburg — people are simply filling the void when things get stuck, because the government is often the sticking point.' Policy Magazine

Things need to change......

It's heartening to see the city engaging in dialogue with Chiefs Francis Laceese, Lennon Solomon, Joe Alphonse, Troy Baptiste, and Councillor James Lulua Jr. about future collaboration and the path towards meaningful reconciliation. However, it's crucial to remember that the journey towards reconciliation and genuine community support extends beyond the conference room. Meetings are a starting point, not the finish line. True progress is measured by the actions we take and the impact of those actions on the ground. Let's also focus on the tangible outcomes that directly affect our communities, like the votes to support initiatives that offer real benefits, such as a homeless shelter aimed at assisting indigenous community members. Reconciliation is a multifaceted process that involves not just discussions but decisive actions that reflect our shared values and commitment to each other. Let's use these meetings not just as photo opportunities but as catalysts for real change that uplifts all members of our community, especially the marginalized and overlooked. Here's to more than just talking the talk but walking the walk together, towards a future where every step we take is one step closer to reconciliation and mutual respect.

Dean Parkin sums up so well why I'm choosing to #VoteYES in our 2023 Referendum "The one thing that makes Australia unique from every other country in the world, is that we're home to the oldest living culture on earth. 65K years & more of unbroken cultural, and social connection to this country. Recognition isn't just for the 3%. This is a moment for all Australians because when we make that acknowledgment - we're enriching who we are as a nation." If you're undecided, read up on the facts from reputable sources providing fact-checked information. Here are links to the;  Referendum question and the proposed amendment: https://bit.ly/45tvpjh The design principles of the Voice: https://bit.ly/46q5uKi A detailed webinar explaining what the vote is & is not, with Rachel Perkins and Independent MP Zali Steggall: https://bit.ly/3Q9PM0e And for those who would like to look into the legal implications here are some fact sheets from the Law Council of Australia: https://bit.ly/3RV3Jke The Law Council has long supported a constitutionally enshrined Voice as a necessary and overdue recognition of First Nations peoples in the Australian Constitution. When the constitution was established in 1901, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples weren't even considered citizens, they weren't consulted. We vote this weekend to right that wrong. #VoteYES

Governments need to make a serious effort to change the way they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is the blueprint for making that change...and all Governments have already committed to it. #closingthegap

Did you watch the debate last night? Here are some of my thoughts.

How can HIEs open new revenue streams and significantly enhance the value they bring to their communities? Get the game-changer in this blog: https://ow.ly/fc7q30sE326