Tuesday, 28 July 2026

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:56): (2624) My adjournment this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Government Services. El Salvador is a country that was dangerous and completely riddled by corruption and organised crime. This may sound familiar to some Victorians. They have been experiencing a turnaround recently as President Bukele has decided to do something a bit revolutionary and actually lock up the dangerous people, in the process becoming the political leader with the highest approval rating anywhere in the world, with over 90 per cent approval. Maybe there is a lesson in that for the new Premier or a future Premier after November.

One of the things that they are doing is rapidly developing their government services, integrating digital service delivery and centralised cloud-based services throughout government. This is a country that is rapidly changing from a Third World hellhole with one of the highest murder rates in the world to a country that is integrating technology so rapidly that it is positioning itself to be one of the most advanced countries in digital integration. Meanwhile, in Victoria the Victorian Auditor-General has just tabled a report updating progress on the Victorian government’s progress in implementing the recommendations from a 2021 report, and it is damning stuff. It essentially outlines a government that is completely rudderless when it comes to digital service delivery.

Their follow-up review focused on two key questions: (1) have agencies implemented their action plans, and (2) has digital delivery of government services improved customer experiences and reduced transaction costs? Among their findings they state that little progress has been made on action plans to implement the 2021 recommendations; there is not a clear strategy for the Service Victoria platform or a plan to encourage other agencies to use it; there is not a transparent assessment of costs and benefits; and there is no clear process to measure success or efficiency.

This is more than just a brief assessment of a minor Victorian government app. It is indicative of a real systemic problem in Victoria. The official government digital strategy is called A Future-ready Victoria: Victorian Government Digital Strategy 2021–2026. My request to the Minister for Government Services is to recognise that we are falling far short and meet with relevant stakeholders, including, where appropriate, representatives from global leaders such as Estonia and apparently El Salvador, and craft an ambitious digital strategy to get Victoria back on track.