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Labour slams Govt's millon-dollar tech start-up u-turn...
Wed, 16th Jul 2014
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Just four days after calling Labour’s ICT Garage Grants ‘off the planet’, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has supported the policy and trumpeted funding for ICT entrepreneurs.

That's the controversial view of Labour’s ICT spokesperson Clare Curran, who branded the government's move "shamelessness"

Last Friday Labour announced its Digital Economic Upgrade which included Garage Grants to provide funding for entrepreneurs to turn their innovative ideas into the Xeros and Trade Mes of the future.

“That same day Steven Joyce condemned the policies as ‘off the planet’," Curran claims.

“In an astonishing feat of shamelessness, just four days later Mr Joyce has heralded $1 million in funding for ICT start-ups."

According to Curran, Labour’s policy provides three times that amount to ICT entrepreneurs.

“It’s clear that Steven Joyce has heard the industry welcoming our policies loud and clear," she adds.

“While he’s copying one of our policies he should adopt the rest as well. The industry has welcomed the whole package."