Ken Smith describes the implementation of the Smart State strategy and the role it played in the Education Department. He outlines his involvement with the strategy, specifically his work with philanthropies, universities, the state and the commonwealth.
Ken Smith details his reappointment to Director General of the Families Department under the Beattie Government and his feelings of the response in parliament. He notes the rumours of a hit list in the previous government. And he discusses a more recent time when he was in the public spotlight when funds were denied to the Opposition for billboards.
John Strano describes aviation as a key aspect of the Smart State strategy. He notes the collaboration between QUT, the CSIRO and Smart State funding on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He describes the aviation companies that were attracted to Queensland but also the work of the government in setting up training facilities and organisations like Aviation Australia. He discusses call centres as an example of a cluster of economic development.
John Strano lists some of the companies that had deals with the government and moved to Queensland. He describes the reasons they moved to Queensland and the snowball effect. He uses the example of airport land and a CSR factory to describe some of the ways government facilitated investment in the early 2000s.
John Strano discusses the Smart State by noting that a lot of the thinking and push for the branding came from the university sector. He details the influence of universities upon the encouragement for biotechnology. He goes on to detail the outcomes of this policy that many strategists did not consider, largely that biotech had very different flow on effects for the economy compared to IT.
John Strano notes that Borbidge and Beattie had a very good relationship. He notes examples in the transition to the Beattie Government when investment deals still went ahead. He describes the importance of early investment projects, such as with Boeing, that led to Queensland being the Smart State before being labeled thus.
Jim Varghese speaks on the origins of the Smart Start strategy, the aftermath of Glyn Davis leaving the department and the affects of this strategy on the Education Department.
