Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Of course, this week marks Science Meets Parliament, an event that has become an important one on the Canberra calendar for more than two decades, and an annual highlight for parliamentarians. Science Meets Parliament is open to all Australian STEM professionals in academia, industry and government. This includes PhD students through to leaders in the STEM sector. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to speak about this today, and I thank the member for Swan for her motion.

Science Meets Parliament provides the opportunity for parliamentarians to directly engage with Australian scientists and is increasingly becoming a powerful vehicle for deep engagement between the STEM sector and policymakers. It plays a crucial role in building relationships and helps to bring STEM expertise deeper into the service of the nation. Activities in the parliament this week include expert-led professional development, a welcome reception, a parliamentary forum, a national gala dinner, a televised National Press Club address and opportunities for delegates to meet in small groups privately with parliamentarians.

Science & Technology Australia is Australia's peak body in science and technology, representing more than 225,000 scientists, engineers and technologists. It goes without saying that Australian scientists and science both save and improve lives. I really want to congratulate the team at Science &Technology Australia for all their terrific efforts in pulling together what is sure to be yet another fantastic week for Science Meets Parliament participants. This year's event is the biggest yet, accommodating 391 delegates, 154 early- and mid-career researchers and representatives from 105 federal electorates.

Our government is on the record as stating that we both recognise and support the contributions that Australian scientists and science make to our nation. Not only does science play an important role in helping Australia solve some of its biggest challenges but it also plays such an important role in bringing diversification to our economy. Indeed, Minister Husic, during Science Meets Parliament activities last year, stated:

Science isn't a nice-to-have only when times are good. It is essential to the prosperity of this country. To our national wellbeing. To being a modern economy.

In my own electorate of Chisholm, we are so fortunate to have some truly outstanding and world-class science organisations, and scientists and researchers based at organisations such as the CSIRO and the Monash Victorian Heart Institute. Earlier this month I had the great pleasure of hosting Minister Husic in my electorate at ANSTO and the Australian Synchrotron for a Monash Precinct Network roundtable. We discussed a range of topics with the minister, including access to the National Reconstruction Fund for small and medium enterprises, ways to support Australian science and manufacturers, helping innovative companies to scale up and building STEM aspirations in young people.

I've also seen the value of science meeting parliament in initiatives like the STEM Ambassadors Program. This has allowed me the opportunity to connect with Dr Julia Gilmartin-Thomas, an expert in medicine safety and dementia research and Chisholm's local STEM ambassador. Not only has this program allowed Julia to gain a better understanding of policymaking processes but it has provided me with an improved understanding of the application of science. I really look forward to all of my meetings with Julia and our continued engagement through the STEM Ambassadors Program, including through an allied health research forum later this year.

Our government believes that, by employing Australians' research skills and expertise, we can create new economic opportunities for the country and become a global STEM superpower. Every day in my electorate I see the opportunities with, as I said before, the world-class researchers and world-class scientists there, who want to work in collaboration with one another to help solve the problems that confront our nation and our region. Our government wants to ensure the next generation of scientists has all the skills it needs to solve tomorrow's problems, and events like Science Meets Parliament allow us to take big strides forward and build important and deep relationships between policymakers and scientists.

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