Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Science and Innovation. Will the minister inform the House how the government's industry programs will assist the commercialisation of research and development at leading Australian research institutes such as those based at Edith Cowan University in my electorate?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moore for his question. I know that he is working closely with Edith Cowan University on the commercialisation of research, and Edith Cowan very recently announced that they have made a tremendous collaboration with the CRC for Mental Health, the cooperative research council in Perth, and a business in Perth called Cytox that is working on a cure for dementia. Of course dementia is a disease that affects far too many Australians—hundreds of thousands of Australians. It is a disease that, while it was evident decades ago, has become very common now because of the changes in the age of our population. It has affected most families—in fact my own mother-in-law has dementia, and it is a shocking, shocking disease. It affects whole families, especially those who stay home to care for people with dementia.

The work that Edith Cowan University is doing with Cytox and the CRC for Mental Health is very important work, and it is a very good example of the kind of research commercialisation that can happen with collaboration between universities and business. It is exactly the kind of thing that the Australian government wants to encourage with its Innovation and Science Agenda in December. It is something that we do not do nearly enough of. We have very high-quality research in Australia but, while we are sixth in the OECD for the quality of our research, we are 33rd in the OECD for the commercialisation of research. We are getting one part of the equation very right and the other part of the equation not very right. We want to work with universities through the Innovation and Science Agenda and with the business community to create the kind of commercialisation of research that will lead to jobs and to growth. The commercialisation of research will be a significant part of the four themes of the innovation and science agenda.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about all those CSIRO jobs?

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fourteen hundred jobs cut.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield has been warned.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear the interjections from the other side of the House. We will support the CSIRO. Those opposite had six years in government to do something about innovation and the commercialisation of research and did absolutely nothing.

Mr Husic interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chifley is warned.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government has taken the bit between its teeth and is doing something about changing innovation and creativity in this country. The statement will also cover talents and skills, the raising of capital, changing the culture and what the government is doing through procurement and through its own interactions with its clients to improve our service delivery. It is going to be very exciting. I think universities will welcome it. It will be quite transformative and it will put innovation very much at the centre of the economy, leading to more jobs and more growth.