Greg Farr's 21-gun salute

What does Defence CIO Greg Farr have to do to get a 21-gun salute? What does Russell Crowe and lobbying have in common? And can NSW be the next Silicon Valley? All these questions are answered in this week's instalment of Patch Monday.

Given its current financial problems and the fact that the idea of a Linux deployment has been rumoured for years, has New South Wales missed an opportunity to set itself apart with its student netbook decision or is NSW simply playing it sensible and safe?

We debate whether it is wrong for ICT companies to hire outside lobbyists to whisper in the ear of governments on their behalf — and what impact this could have on the Patch Monday team's television viewing habits.

The embattled Department of Defence has had "vendor support issues" according to an audit by KPMG. How can Defence turn this situation around and can Greg Farr implement the decisions that should be made?