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

You will have received an invitation yesterday for the Bennelong Innovation Fair, which I am hosting in the Great Hall on 27 March. This may be the first time you have heard of it, but it will not be the last. Bennelong is Australia's innovation capital. From wi-fi to Granny Smith apples, innovations from our corner of Sydney have changed the world. This still holds true today. Bennelong is home to some of the most innovative companies and organisations in the country. We are home to the cancer-curing Gamma Knife, Australia's only hydrogen fuelling pump, and the labs where every single cochlear implant is made. And of course we have Macquarie University, a world leader in many fields.

To celebrate this I am putting together the Bennelong Innovation Fair in Canberra next month to show off all the cutting edge discoveries that are coming out of Bennelong. All our big companies will be there. Critically, we will also be seeing what is happening at the grassroots level across our community. The winners from the schools competition will be there, as will be representatives from local start-ups and small businesses.

This is the future of our region, and we must do all we can to foster and support our up-and-coming scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. The cure for cancer, the trip to the stars—the next big thing could come out of our suburbs if we nurture our young minds. I look forward to seeing you there on 27 March in the Great Hall. Be there or be square!