Shadow communications minister, Tony Smith, has agreed to go head to head against his political opponents on ICT issues at the National Press Club on 10 August.
The debate with communications minister, Stephen Conroy and Greens ICT spokesperson, Scott Ludlam, will go ahead with Sky News political editor, David Speers, moderating.
It is understood that Conroy and Ludlam agreed some time ago to the debate, but Smith was reticent in responding to the invite from the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
Each speaker will be given a chance to outline their stance on ICT issues and will then participate in a Q&A session.
While the government’s ICT stance is well-known and the Greens have also consistently stated their position, the Opposition has refused to outline alternative policies, except to announce it would cut several initiatives including the national broadband network (NBN), computers in schools program and e-health funding.
Sources close to the Coalition's policy have stated that the party could revive the terminated Opel project, as well as a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network.