Information Policy Summit aims to help government

An Information Policy Summit aimed at trying to give government feedback on the needs of the information society, is being hosted by Victoria University later this month.

Organised by Victoria's School of Communications and Information Management the Summit aims to draw together and explore the many different opinions on information policy.

Professor Brian Corbitt says the objective is to put people in a room for 6-8 hours examine the issues and see what emerges and then present these finding to the government. "We will not only be saying to government these are the issues, but also, telling them this is how these issues might be addressed."

The forum brings together many different sectors with an interest in information policy including business, libraries, professional groups such as ICANZ, consulting companies, the university sector and government.

Despite the presence of Commerce Minister Paul Swain, Professor Corbitt says the summit will not be political. "We're trying to give feedback on what the information society needs and identify what issues need addressing - these issues apply regardless of who is in government."

Professor Corbitt says there's no coherent information policy across New Zealand because of the many disparate views. "It's part of our role as a university to contribute to society - we plan to act as a facilitator and form a partnership with government and society to make things happen."

The New Zealand government has embraced information as a key issue. As a university Victoria feels it can support government and enable the formation of more consensus about the role of information in the new economy, he says.

The Information Policy Summit will be held on Thursday, November 23, in the Moot Room in Victoria University's Law Faculty, Old Government Building, Wellington.

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