[Linux-aus] Open Source in Government

[Mike Carden]

G'day.

I don't post here much, so many people won't know me. I'm a member of
the LA council this year so at least to some extent I am supposed to
be representing your interests.

In my day job I work for the National Archives of Australia where I
have been deeply involved in open source software development for the
last six years.

Earlier this year I was invited to join a 'Community Of Interest'
(COI) in open source software convened by the Australian Government
Information Office (AGIMO). I have been working with this group to
come up with a Licensing[1] Risk Framework for Open Source in
Government. In parallel, the 2005 AGIMO Guide to govt agencies on open
source is being revised.

The COI has some very clever people on board, but it needs more. In
theory, the membership of the group is limited to people from
Commonwealth Agencies and if you work for a Commonwealth Agency and
want to be involved, please let me know. In practise, intelligent
informed people, from not-quite-commonwealth backgrounds can join in.

I don't want to overplay or overstate this, but IMHO, this fairly low
key group has the potential to make large changes in future Australian
govt policy around open source software.

-- 
MC

[1] American spelling due to GPL terms