John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bennelong is Australia's capital of innovation. We've got the nation's most forward-looking companies in Macquarie Park and our best and brightest in our schools. It was in the name of putting these two groups together that I launched the Bennelong Schools' STEM Challenge back in 2017, and, after two successful years, I'm glad to report that it has become a regular fixture in the Bennelong calendar.

This December we'll be holding the third iteration of the event, again sponsored by Medtronic, which is one of the many high-tech companies based in the electorate. Through Medtronic, students are able to get up close to the medical tech of the future, have conversations with engineers and see firsthand how the STEM subjects they study at school have real-world implications and possibilities. But, perhaps more importantly even than this, participants learn from each other, building on what they see others do. The camaraderie between the students is visible to all. The day starts with a bunch of students in a room and ends with a group of friends with a common interest. The Bennelong Schools' STEM Challenge will be bigger and better this year, and I can't wait to see what our scientists and engineers of the future have in store for us.

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