Vic govt appoints first chief technology advocate

The Victorian government has created the new role of Chief Technology Advocate and appointed former South Australia CIO Grantly Mailes to the position.

The state Minister for Technology, Gordon Rich-Phillips, made the announcement today, saying that Mailes would be responsible for delivering Victoria's new ICT strategy.

"Mailes will initially focus on delivering better services, reducing waste, encouraging innovation, and improving ICT procurement across government," he said.

"The Coalition government's new strategy aligns processes across departments and sets clear lines of governance, accountability, and direction."

Mailes is already well acquainted with the strategy, having been the chair of the Victorian Information and Communications Technology Advisory Committee (VICTAC). VICTAC oversaw the development of the strategy and was responsible for providing advice to the Minister of Technology.

The appointment follows news that Frankston MP Geoff Shaw has stepped away from the Coalition and moved to the cross-bench as an Independent, bringing the balance of power in the Victorian Parliament dangerously close. With Shaw's resignation from the Liberal party, the Coalition government now holds 44 seats, while Labor has 43.