1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,470 Sean Aylmer: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. I'm Sean Aylmer. 2 00:00:06,710 --> 00:00:09,170 Sean Aylmer: With so many people forced to stay at home during 3 00:00:09,170 --> 00:00:12,980 Sean Aylmer: the pandemic, technology allowed many of them to keep working. 4 00:00:13,250 --> 00:00:16,280 Sean Aylmer: It saw a tech boom in Australia and around the world. But 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,500 Sean Aylmer: while the share prices of some of the tech stocks 6 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:20,720 Sean Aylmer: have come back slightly from the highs of last year, 7 00:00:21,020 --> 00:00:25,640 Sean Aylmer: the tech industry has emerged as a significant economic contributor. Today, 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,040 Sean Aylmer: the top players in the sector are joining forces to 9 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,010 Sean Aylmer: form the Tech Council of Australia, hoping to push the 10 00:00:31,010 --> 00:00:34,070 Sean Aylmer: industry to even greater heights. Some of the most successful 11 00:00:34,070 --> 00:00:38,060 Sean Aylmer: technology companies are involved, from Atlassian and Afterpay, to Canva 12 00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:42,650 Sean Aylmer: and Airtasker. Kate Pounder is the Tech Council's formative chief executive 13 00:00:42,650 --> 00:00:45,080 Sean Aylmer: officer and my guest this morning. Kate, welcome to Fear 14 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:45,560 Sean Aylmer: and Greed. 15 00:00:45,979 --> 00:00:46,520 Kate Pounder: Good morning. 16 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:49,070 Sean Aylmer: So tell me all about it. What's the Tech Council? 17 00:00:49,790 --> 00:00:53,120 Kate Pounder: The Tech Council is a new body that's been formed 18 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:58,730 Kate Pounder: by Australia's tech ecosystem leaders to provide a united voice 19 00:00:58,730 --> 00:01:02,630 Kate Pounder: to governments on tech sector issues. And we think this 20 00:01:02,630 --> 00:01:07,910 Kate Pounder: is a critical time to be providing that voice because 21 00:01:07,910 --> 00:01:10,580 Kate Pounder: the tech sector is now one of the most important 22 00:01:10,580 --> 00:01:13,310 Kate Pounder: pillars of the Australian economy, the seventh biggest source of 23 00:01:13,310 --> 00:01:16,880 Kate Pounder: jobs and the third biggest industry by value. So we 24 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,670 Kate Pounder: think we have a role in working constructively with governments 25 00:01:19,670 --> 00:01:22,759 Kate Pounder: in the community to try and help ensure our sector 26 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,120 Kate Pounder: goes from strength to strength and we keep creating those 27 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,060 Kate Pounder: jobs and those opportunities for Australia. 28 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,410 Sean Aylmer: So how did it come about? The tech sector in 29 00:01:30,410 --> 00:01:33,319 Sean Aylmer: Australia really has found its rhythm in the last two 30 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,980 Sean Aylmer: or three years. I mentioned Atlassian in the beginning, but 31 00:01:36,980 --> 00:01:39,830 Sean Aylmer: after pay for Airtasker, their companies in the last couple 32 00:01:39,830 --> 00:01:42,050 Sean Aylmer: of years have really come to the fore. And as 33 00:01:42,050 --> 00:01:45,229 Sean Aylmer: you say, it's a real force in the economy. Who 34 00:01:45,230 --> 00:01:48,230 Sean Aylmer: kind of who had the idea that you will come together? 35 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,460 Kate Pounder: Our success has many fathers. So I think this is 36 00:01:52,460 --> 00:01:54,680 Kate Pounder: an instance where there are a lot of people who 37 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,530 Kate Pounder: had the same idea, which was that, as you said, 38 00:01:57,530 --> 00:02:02,870 Kate Pounder: the Australian sector's matured a lot in the last decade. 39 00:02:02,870 --> 00:02:07,010 Kate Pounder: In particular, we've had something like over 20 unicorn companies 40 00:02:07,010 --> 00:02:09,470 Kate Pounder: that we've produced in that period. That's companies valued at 41 00:02:09,470 --> 00:02:13,010 Kate Pounder: a billion dollars or more. And we're really becoming world 42 00:02:13,010 --> 00:02:17,359 Kate Pounder: class in some categories of the tech sector, like software 43 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,770 Kate Pounder: as a service, like fintech, like tech. So there were 44 00:02:21,770 --> 00:02:24,290 Kate Pounder: a lot of people in the industry who felt it 45 00:02:24,290 --> 00:02:27,110 Kate Pounder: was time to form a single body to provide that 46 00:02:27,110 --> 00:02:30,440 Kate Pounder: constructive voice. The instigator of it, though, the person who 47 00:02:31,220 --> 00:02:34,010 Kate Pounder: really did the hard yards to pull it together was 48 00:02:34,010 --> 00:02:38,300 Kate Pounder: Alex McCauley, who had led StartupAUS since 2013. And what 49 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:41,660 Kate Pounder: he'd observed is that in that period, they had successfully 50 00:02:41,660 --> 00:02:45,769 Kate Pounder: worked with governments to create better investment conditions for startups 51 00:02:45,770 --> 00:02:48,290 Kate Pounder: and that had led to this explosion of growth, if 52 00:02:48,290 --> 00:02:50,690 Kate Pounder: you like, and this wonderful array of new companies. But 53 00:02:50,690 --> 00:02:53,330 Kate Pounder: now many of them were no longer startups. They were 54 00:02:53,419 --> 00:02:57,770 Kate Pounder: Canva's and Afterpay's and big global companies in their own right. But there 55 00:02:57,770 --> 00:03:01,190 Kate Pounder: wasn't a natural body, I guess, for them to graduate into. 56 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,640 Sean Aylmer: So the tech council, who is on it? So I 57 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,700 Sean Aylmer: mentioned some of those companies. But you've got former federal 58 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:09,500 Sean Aylmer: ministers and all sorts of people, haven't you? 59 00:03:10,220 --> 00:03:14,810 Kate Pounder: Yeah, it's a broad church. It is chaired by Robyn Denholm, 60 00:03:14,810 --> 00:03:19,040 Kate Pounder: who's a partner at Blackbird Ventures, but also chair of Tesla. 61 00:03:18,230 --> 00:03:19,040 Sean Aylmer: Chair of Tesla. Yeah. 62 00:03:19,930 --> 00:03:20,020 Kate Pounder: That's her second role. 63 00:03:22,550 --> 00:03:24,240 Sean Aylmer: Sorry? Tesla is her second role is what you're saying is it? 64 00:03:26,419 --> 00:03:32,750 Kate Pounder: The CEOs of Atlassian, of Canva, of Afterpay. We have Didier Elzinga 65 00:03:33,410 --> 00:03:38,210 Kate Pounder: from Culture Amp. We also have Wyatt Roy, CEOs of Different 66 00:03:38,210 --> 00:03:42,470 Kate Pounder: and Kate Jones who is a former state education and innovation minister, 67 00:03:42,470 --> 00:03:45,050 Kate Pounder: and then Alex McCauley as well, who was the founder 68 00:03:45,050 --> 00:03:45,900 Kate Pounder: of StartupAUS. 69 00:03:46,340 --> 00:03:49,310 Sean Aylmer: So that's a very high powered group to get together. 70 00:03:49,470 --> 00:03:50,900 Sean Aylmer: I'd love to be in the board meeting, Kate. 71 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:54,680 Kate Pounder: It is a wonderful group to have together. And I 72 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,640 Kate Pounder: think it shows the commitment of people in the industry 73 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:04,250 Kate Pounder: and in particular those founders who have now established global 74 00:04:04,340 --> 00:04:08,150 Kate Pounder: companies and are often investing back in the new and 75 00:04:08,150 --> 00:04:10,520 Kate Pounder: emerging companies in the sector. They really wanted to give 76 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,970 Kate Pounder: some of their time and their knowledge and their resources 77 00:04:13,970 --> 00:04:15,940 Kate Pounder: to help the broader sector prosper. 78 00:04:16,430 --> 00:04:19,610 Sean Aylmer: So can Australia become maybe not Silicon Valley, but Israel 79 00:04:19,610 --> 00:04:22,130 Sean Aylmer: I mean, Israel being the other great tech leader globally 80 00:04:22,130 --> 00:04:24,200 Sean Aylmer: in the developed nations at least. Do you think that 81 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,460 Sean Aylmer: Australia can kind of develop a community and an education 82 00:04:28,460 --> 00:04:33,169 Sean Aylmer: system and a funding system to take its place, maybe 83 00:04:33,170 --> 00:04:36,290 Sean Aylmer: not as big as those two places, Silicon Valley and Israel, 84 00:04:36,410 --> 00:04:38,539 Sean Aylmer: but certainly kind of in the spectrum somewhere? 85 00:04:39,380 --> 00:04:44,270 Kate Pounder: Australia's tech sector's already got many of those features. We've 86 00:04:44,450 --> 00:04:48,979 Kate Pounder: got a healthy funding system now, a healthy ecosystem of VCs (Venture Capitalists), 87 00:04:48,980 --> 00:04:53,570 Kate Pounder: and particularly raising more and more capital because we're producing 88 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:57,860 Kate Pounder: more globally successful headquarter companies here in Australia. We're creating 89 00:04:57,860 --> 00:05:02,919 Kate Pounder: more value here. And that's leading to more employees who held 90 00:05:03,339 --> 00:05:06,010 Kate Pounder: shares in those companies exiting and then going to create 91 00:05:06,010 --> 00:05:08,560 Kate Pounder: their own company. So we're really starting to see that 92 00:05:09,100 --> 00:05:13,930 Kate Pounder: self-reinforcing growth dynamic that you see in those markets, which 93 00:05:13,930 --> 00:05:16,900 Kate Pounder: is incredibly exciting. But I think we need to aim 94 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,510 Kate Pounder: even higher as does the tech sector. So we're actually 95 00:05:19,510 --> 00:05:21,700 Kate Pounder: coming out today and making a commitment to have a 96 00:05:21,700 --> 00:05:26,080 Kate Pounder: million tech-related jobs in Australia by 2025. And we're also 97 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,869 Kate Pounder: setting a goal that tech sector activity will contribute $250 98 00:05:29,529 --> 00:05:33,940 Kate Pounder: billion dollars to GDP by 2030. It's currently contributing $167 99 00:05:34,750 --> 00:05:37,810 Kate Pounder: billion dollars in the last year. And we're making those 100 00:05:37,810 --> 00:05:40,390 Kate Pounder: commitments because we have faith that this is a sector 101 00:05:40,390 --> 00:05:42,850 Kate Pounder: that will keep growing and growing and becoming an ever 102 00:05:42,850 --> 00:05:45,969 Kate Pounder: more important part of the economy and creating even more jobs. 103 00:05:46,250 --> 00:05:48,660 Sean Aylmer: I know there's been incredible growth in jobs up until now. 104 00:05:48,670 --> 00:05:50,460 Sean Aylmer: How many tech jobs are there at the moment? 105 00:05:50,860 --> 00:05:56,950 Kate Pounder: So today there are 861,000 people working in tech-related jobs 106 00:05:56,950 --> 00:06:02,080 Kate Pounder: in Australia. There were 65,000 tech-related jobs created just during 107 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,260 Kate Pounder: the pandemic, and the rate of jobs growth has been 108 00:06:05,260 --> 00:06:09,640 Kate Pounder: 55 per cent per annum since 2005, which is close to 109 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,099 Kate Pounder: double the rate of jobs growth in the rest of 110 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:12,640 Kate Pounder: the economy. 111 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,130 Sean Aylmer: Is there a lack of skills there? I mean, that's 112 00:06:15,130 --> 00:06:18,729 Sean Aylmer: an incredible number of people going into the sector and obviously, 113 00:06:18,730 --> 00:06:22,210 Sean Aylmer: there's demand for those people. Are there enough people doing 114 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:23,080 Sean Aylmer: tech roles? 115 00:06:23,740 --> 00:06:27,909 Kate Pounder: Skills and labour shortages is one of the biggest challenges 116 00:06:27,910 --> 00:06:32,410 Kate Pounder: facing the sector. So we definitely need more people going 117 00:06:32,410 --> 00:06:34,690 Kate Pounder: into those roles. And that's at every level. We need 118 00:06:34,930 --> 00:06:38,080 Kate Pounder: more young Australians aspiring to work in the sector, perhaps 119 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,320 Kate Pounder: more mums and dads hoping that their kids will grow 120 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:45,339 Kate Pounder: up to be software engineers one day. We need more people. 121 00:06:45,790 --> 00:06:48,010 Sean Aylmer: Do you reckon you'd do that? Do you reckon you would, like, over the dinner table, say do you want to be a 122 00:06:48,010 --> 00:06:50,710 Sean Aylmer: software engineer and have that sort of conversation? Play Cricket 123 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:52,900 Sean Aylmer: for Australia or be a software engineer? I'm not sure, Kate. 124 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,250 Kate Pounder: Do you know there are more software engineers in Australia today, more developers 125 00:06:57,250 --> 00:07:00,190 Kate Pounder: than there are plumbers or solicitors or hairdressers. 126 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:01,330 Sean Aylmer: Really? Wow. 127 00:07:01,330 --> 00:07:04,060 Kate Pounder: It's a really common occupation. I think it's like the fourteenth 128 00:07:04,060 --> 00:07:08,950 Kate Pounder: most common occupation. It's well paid. It's secure. It's safe. Meaningful. 129 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:11,590 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Yeah, it's got a great future. 130 00:07:11,850 --> 00:07:13,930 Kate Pounder: All the things that aspire to. Maybe you can have 131 00:07:13,930 --> 00:07:16,910 Kate Pounder: a cricket career first and then your software career can be... 132 00:07:17,710 --> 00:07:22,150 Sean Aylmer: Or the other way around. How do you handle organisations? And 133 00:07:22,150 --> 00:07:25,210 Sean Aylmer: I'm thinking of Woolworths here. They've obviously bought into Quantium, 134 00:07:25,210 --> 00:07:29,140 Sean Aylmer: which is a huge data play and data company. And 135 00:07:29,140 --> 00:07:31,390 Sean Aylmer: we spoke to the head of Wpay the other day and 136 00:07:31,390 --> 00:07:34,060 Sean Aylmer: he was that's the payment system, part of Woolworths. And 137 00:07:34,060 --> 00:07:36,850 Sean Aylmer: he was talking all about really it's about technology and data. 138 00:07:36,850 --> 00:07:39,580 Sean Aylmer: So as an organisation, Woolworths is going down that path, 139 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:43,210 Sean Aylmer: as are the banks. All the retailers. Are they, like, 140 00:07:43,210 --> 00:07:45,610 Sean Aylmer: when do they become tech companies or will they never 141 00:07:45,610 --> 00:07:47,680 Sean Aylmer: be tech companies? Can they be part of the tech council, 142 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:48,250 Sean Aylmer: for example? 143 00:07:48,700 --> 00:07:54,880 Kate Pounder: So tech-related activity absolutely occurs outside of tech companies and 144 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,870 Kate Pounder: increasingly is occurring in those other core sectors of the 145 00:07:58,870 --> 00:08:02,500 Kate Pounder: Australian economy, like retail, like banking, like mining, like agriculture. 146 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:05,470 Kate Pounder: And that's a really good development. That's a good thing. 147 00:08:05,500 --> 00:08:07,780 Kate Pounder: When we talk about tech related activity, we're not simply 148 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:10,930 Kate Pounder: talking about jobs in a software company. We're talking about 149 00:08:10,930 --> 00:08:15,250 Kate Pounder: the tech jobs across the economy, including in Woolworths, including 150 00:08:15,250 --> 00:08:19,570 Kate Pounder: in a bank. And we see that as a positive 151 00:08:19,570 --> 00:08:24,250 Kate Pounder: because those other industries are also critical to the economy. 152 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:29,200 Kate Pounder: And by adopting tech, they're often making their businesses more competitive. 153 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,380 Kate Pounder: They're also investing. They're also creating jobs. It's all a 154 00:08:32,380 --> 00:08:33,640 Kate Pounder: net positive for the economy, 155 00:08:33,850 --> 00:08:35,679 Sean Aylmer: But that means that we're going to need more people 156 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:36,490 Sean Aylmer: in that sector. 157 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:37,230 Kate Pounder: Absolutely. 158 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,640 Sean Aylmer: So we talk about the tech sector, not just Canva and Atlassian, it's 159 00:08:40,660 --> 00:08:43,660 Sean Aylmer: Domino's Pizza who totally rely on data to get the 160 00:08:43,660 --> 00:08:44,860 Sean Aylmer: pizzas to people quickly. 161 00:08:45,190 --> 00:08:49,689 Kate Pounder: It really is a critical area where we do need 162 00:08:49,690 --> 00:08:51,190 Kate Pounder: to get more people in. As I said, I think 163 00:08:51,190 --> 00:08:55,510 Kate Pounder: there's always been a concern in the past that tech 164 00:08:55,510 --> 00:08:58,449 Kate Pounder: was going to erode jobs, whereas if anything, what we've 165 00:08:58,450 --> 00:09:01,270 Kate Pounder: seen is it's creating jobs at a pace that's become 166 00:09:01,270 --> 00:09:05,590 Kate Pounder: harder to fill. So I think the constructive solution is 167 00:09:05,590 --> 00:09:09,670 Kate Pounder: to really focus on attracting more people to the sector, 168 00:09:09,670 --> 00:09:12,190 Kate Pounder: to making sure the training to get into the sector 169 00:09:12,190 --> 00:09:14,530 Kate Pounder: is clear, to make sure the pathways are clear, and 170 00:09:14,530 --> 00:09:17,740 Kate Pounder: then to encourage people to stay, to give them good 171 00:09:17,740 --> 00:09:22,510 Kate Pounder: conditions and to ensure that the jobs are meaningful. And 172 00:09:22,510 --> 00:09:25,210 Kate Pounder: I think that's a really positive development for the economy, 173 00:09:25,210 --> 00:09:27,069 Kate Pounder: by the way, at a time when we're having debates 174 00:09:27,070 --> 00:09:30,640 Kate Pounder: about low wage growth and to be creating that number 175 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,530 Kate Pounder: of well-paid, secure, meaningful, high-value jobs, the economy is, it's 176 00:09:35,530 --> 00:09:37,510 Kate Pounder: a better problem to be struggling to fill them in 177 00:09:37,510 --> 00:09:40,059 Kate Pounder: a way than to not be creating them. But it 178 00:09:40,059 --> 00:09:43,180 Kate Pounder: is also an important problem to not be able to 179 00:09:43,179 --> 00:09:45,140 Kate Pounder: fill them because it can become a brake on growth. 180 00:09:45,580 --> 00:09:47,380 Sean Aylmer: Stay with me, Kate. We'll be back in a minute. 181 00:09:52,370 --> 00:09:55,160 Sean Aylmer: My guest this morning is Kate Pounder, CEO of the 182 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,890 Sean Aylmer: Tech Council of Australia. Do you think there'll be a time 183 00:09:57,890 --> 00:10:01,550 Sean Aylmer: where technology kind of rivals the miners, iron ore, and 184 00:10:01,550 --> 00:10:05,510 Sean Aylmer: the services sector as the big industry in Australia? One 185 00:10:05,510 --> 00:10:07,850 Sean Aylmer: of the three or four, like bigger than manufacturing, bigger 186 00:10:07,850 --> 00:10:09,230 Sean Aylmer: than some of those primary industries? 187 00:10:09,650 --> 00:10:13,850 Kate Pounder: It's already bigger than manufacturing. And we forecast by 2030 188 00:10:13,850 --> 00:10:16,820 Kate Pounder: it'll be bigger than primary industries in terms of value 189 00:10:16,820 --> 00:10:19,730 Kate Pounder: to the economy. And if you sum up the value 190 00:10:19,730 --> 00:10:22,520 Kate Pounder: of tech sector activity both directly in the sector, but 191 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,209 Kate Pounder: in those other sectors, as you explained before, it's actually 192 00:10:26,210 --> 00:10:28,760 Kate Pounder: already the third biggest sector of the economy by value 193 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,349 Kate Pounder: just behind banking. 194 00:10:30,429 --> 00:10:33,350 Sean Aylmer: Kate, I won't be asking that question again, just quietly, because 195 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,440 Sean Aylmer: I just had no idea it was that big. 196 00:10:36,860 --> 00:10:40,850 Kate Pounder: And I don't think many people do. And that's understandable 197 00:10:40,850 --> 00:10:43,939 Kate Pounder: because it's hard to measure, particularly as you said, because 198 00:10:43,940 --> 00:10:46,280 Kate Pounder: it sits across so many other parts of the economy. 199 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,470 Kate Pounder: But that's a reality. And I think once you appreciate that, 200 00:10:49,470 --> 00:10:52,700 Kate Pounder: then questions about can we be Israel, or can we 201 00:10:52,700 --> 00:10:55,280 Kate Pounder: be this or that country, you start to see, well, 202 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:57,740 Kate Pounder: in many ways we're already at a point where it 203 00:10:57,740 --> 00:11:00,410 Kate Pounder: is a critical part of the economy. The question for 204 00:11:00,410 --> 00:11:02,179 Kate Pounder: us is where do we as a nation want to 205 00:11:02,179 --> 00:11:04,640 Kate Pounder: take it next? And that's why we think setting these 206 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,719 Kate Pounder: goals of a million tech-related jobs, creating $250 billion dollars 207 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,210 Kate Pounder: in value, are a helpful way for people to visualise what's 208 00:11:11,210 --> 00:11:12,290 Kate Pounder: possible in Australia. 209 00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:14,660 Sean Aylmer: As I think here, I think of friends here who 210 00:11:14,660 --> 00:11:18,320 Sean Aylmer: effectively they're sole traders, but they're tech people and lots 211 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,470 Sean Aylmer: of small businesses. We talked about the big guys, but 212 00:11:21,470 --> 00:11:24,349 Sean Aylmer: there'd be tens of thousands of small businesses or sole traders, 213 00:11:24,350 --> 00:11:24,890 Sean Aylmer: I'd imagine. 214 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:31,730 Kate Pounder: Absolutely. And honestly, like every industry in Australia, most businesses 215 00:11:31,730 --> 00:11:35,980 Kate Pounder: in the tech sector are small businesses and sole traders. 216 00:11:35,990 --> 00:11:39,230 Kate Pounder: That's just the nature of most economies for one but it's 217 00:11:39,230 --> 00:11:42,260 Kate Pounder: definitely a feature of the tech sector as well. So 218 00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:44,740 Kate Pounder: we hear a lot about the big companies and they're 219 00:11:44,750 --> 00:11:47,990 Kate Pounder: a huge and important part of the sector but the bulk 220 00:11:47,990 --> 00:11:51,349 Kate Pounder: of companies in it are small and sole trader companies. 221 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,290 Sean Aylmer: Has the sector got a good relationship, or is this what 222 00:11:54,290 --> 00:11:58,850 Sean Aylmer: the Tech Council's about, with government? Because obviously legislation plays 223 00:11:58,850 --> 00:12:01,439 Sean Aylmer: such an important role in allowing the sector to grow. 224 00:12:02,270 --> 00:12:06,920 Kate Pounder: We've had a really constructive reception from both sides of 225 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,620 Kate Pounder: politics to the formation of the Tech Council. We have 226 00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:12,410 Kate Pounder: videos of support as it happens from the prime minister, 227 00:12:12,410 --> 00:12:17,120 Kate Pounder: the opposition leader, Jane Hume, Ed Husic. And I think that's 228 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,050 Kate Pounder: because governments recognise that the tech sector is a critical 229 00:12:21,050 --> 00:12:24,500 Kate Pounder: part of the economy and increasingly important to many other 230 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,230 Kate Pounder: aspects of life. And it's important for them to have 231 00:12:27,230 --> 00:12:29,179 Kate Pounder: a single body that they can deal with on these 232 00:12:29,179 --> 00:12:33,319 Kate Pounder: issues in order to try and design regulation that's safe 233 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,900 Kate Pounder: and effective, and fair, in order to think about how we 234 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:38,810 Kate Pounder: create the best investment settings for growth and to think 235 00:12:38,809 --> 00:12:41,600 Kate Pounder: about the jobs goals we want to set and then 236 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,850 Kate Pounder: how we can partner together to make sure we can 237 00:12:43,850 --> 00:12:46,820 Kate Pounder: get people into them. And I think, therefore, both the 238 00:12:46,820 --> 00:12:50,270 Kate Pounder: industry and government feel the time is right now to 239 00:12:50,330 --> 00:12:53,420 Kate Pounder: put that organisational model in place to allow that more 240 00:12:53,420 --> 00:12:54,620 Kate Pounder: constructive relationship. 241 00:12:55,250 --> 00:12:57,350 Sean Aylmer: Kate, thank you very much. I mean, it's such an 242 00:12:57,350 --> 00:13:00,620 Sean Aylmer: exciting sector of the economy and good luck with keeping 243 00:13:00,620 --> 00:13:04,339 Sean Aylmer: all those entrepreneurial types on board. Thank you very much 244 00:13:04,340 --> 00:13:05,840 Sean Aylmer: for talking to Fear and Greed this morning. 245 00:13:06,140 --> 00:13:07,520 Kate Pounder: My pleasure. Thank you for having me. 246 00:13:07,970 --> 00:13:11,270 Sean Aylmer: That was Kate Pounder, CEO of Tech Council of Australia, 247 00:13:11,270 --> 00:13:13,560 Sean Aylmer: which is launching today. This is a Fear and Greed 248 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,040 Sean Aylmer: Daily Interview. Join me every morning for the full Fear 249 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,650 Sean Aylmer: and Greed podcast with all the business news you need 250 00:13:18,650 --> 00:13:20,929 Sean Aylmer: to know. I'm Sean Aylmer. Enjoy your day.