Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much for the question. I am astounded, because it is the first question I have actually received from the other side, so I would like to thank the member for Indi for the question. It is a good question, because it is about research and development. The Commonwealth each year delivers about $700 million in research and development. About $250 million comes from my department alone. We made an announcement through the budget that a further $100 million over the forward estimates will be delivered, and that will roll out from 2014-15. It is very important, because research and development goes to the crux of how we expand our industry. As a former member of the Rural Research and Development Council—correct me if I am wrong—you would be aware of the report that says that we get $11 return for every $1 spent. It is those sorts of returns that, in our history, have seen us deliver things such as pink lady apples, the rust-resistant wheat that Farrer was instrumental in and that allowed us to develop blacksoil plains, the stump-jump plough—to help us get through the Labor Party! And then there is Droughtmaster cattle, and the Cactoblastis moth—there are so many things you can do with a smart country that actually invests.

And we do invest. But who used to remove investment? CSIRO lost about $63 million through the Labor Party. And what I also might say is that we have seen some reports that confuse the issue between research and development and subsidies. Research and development are not subsidies. And when we hear reported that $63 million goes into the grains industry for research and development, that is a good investment, when you have $7½ billion coming back from grains.

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