Turnbull cancels Silicon Valley mission

Malcolm Turnbull has cancelled a plan put together by Tony Abbott to take a technology business delegation to Silicon Valley.

Malcolm Turnbull during House of Representatives question time

Malcolm Turnbull has cancelled plans to take a technology business delegation to Silicon Valley. (AAP) Source: AAP

Prime Minister and well-known tech head Malcolm Turnbull won't be going ahead with a trade mission to Silicon Valley planned by Tony Abbott.

Before his ousting on Monday, Mr Abbott had planned to go to San Francisco next week with a technology business delegation, before heading to New York for the United Nations general assembly.

The invitation to business delegates said: "As part of the Australian government's plan to strengthen our economic opportunities and build broader relationships with key partners, the prime minister ... will be visiting Silicon Valley and a select high-level business delegation will accompany the prime minister."

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will represent the government at the UN talks, while Mr Turnbull puts the finishing touches to his frontbench and prime ministerial staff team.

Mr Turnbull won't make his first overseas trip as leader until later in the year.

The former technology company executive wants to put innovative industry front and centre of his government's economic plan.

As communications minister he visited Silicon Valley in 2014 where he spoke with many Australians working in the technology industry, as well as executives for Facebook, Google and other firms.

Opposition communications spokesman Jason Clare said it was a worrying step.

"The fact that Malcolm Turnbull has cancelled this high-level trade mission to the world's top technology companies shows he is all talk and no action when it comes to building Australia's digital future," Mr Clare said.

"If Malcolm Turnbull is serious about creating the jobs of the future, he should agree to implement Bill Shorten's plan to introduce the teaching of coding and computational thinking in all Australian schools."

Parliamentary secretary for communications Paul Fletcher told ABC television the new prime minister had a clear economic vision.

"The rise of Asia is a major trend, and another big trend is digital disruption which is affecting every industry," Mr Fletcher said on Thursday.

"That is something that Malcolm Turnbull in his personal experience has been very familiar with, as communications minister has been very engaged with it."


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Source: AAP


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