Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I should get used to the way in which Senator Abetz does this, because his whole style is not to examine the issues but to attack individuals in such a way as to personalise his politics. In fact, his whole approach to politics is essentially to play the person rather than the issue.

The proposition we have before us today is a ministerial statement which draws attention to the fact that there is a serious problem facing this country—that is, while the bar has been rising with regard to our national innovation effort, our performance has been falling. I argue in this ministerial statement that we do not have the innovation capacity to stay productive and competitive if the positions that were maintained under the previous government were allowed to continue. We do not have the innovation capacity to maintain living standards in a cut-throat global economy in a low-carbon world. Therefore there is a need to fundamentally reassess the approach that this country takes to the national innovation system. That is exactly what we have done with the review of the national innovation system. I look forward to Senator Abetz’s response to that.

That is fundamentally what we have done with regard to the Australian automotive industry. I look forward to Senator Abetz’s response to the Bracks review, because we have not heard any detailed assessment of that review. I have not heard anything from Senator Abetz on the review of the CRC program, and I look forward to his assessment with regard to the clothing and textile review.

What occurred under the Howard government was that public funding for tertiary education actually declined. We were one of only three countries in the OECD that saw a reduction in support for business R&D. The cuts that were made under the previous government to business R&D were the deepest in the OECD. Commonwealth spending on science and innovation actually fell by 27 per cent, as a share of GDP, from its peak under the Keating government through to the period of the current financial year. The shadow minister says that the current government’s budgetary arrangements are such that they produce a lower figure. The truth of the matter is that we brought down a budget only a few months ago. The OECD statistics are based on the full effect in any financial year, so you need to look at the history of these things in the context of what the previous government actually did.

Of course, we saw the growth in research degree commitments collapse. We saw collaboration between industry and universities go backwards. We saw Commonwealth spending on science and innovation, as a share of GDP, fall by 27 per cent. In that context, I was absolutely delighted that Dr Megan Clark took up the position of CEO of the CSIRO. She is probably the most prominent and most senior private sector technologist that this country has. I can only guess at the sorts of salaries that she may well have been offered working for BHP, but she has chosen to work for the Commonwealth. I applaud her public spirit and the fact that we are able to attract a person of her calibre and that, in the circumstances that this country now faces, she is able to commit herself to such public services. That is why I say it is such a fantastic appointment.

Dr Clark is the sort of person who will inspire women all over this country. The truth of the matter is that, when we look at our performance with regard to engagement of women in the sciences and in mathematics, our position is woeful—just woeful! Dr Clark, I hope, will be a model to young women scientists right across the nation. It is my hope that her example will inspire more women to stick with the sciences and build careers in research to boost the innovative effort of this country as a whole. In this country we have seen an appalling situation with regard to women staying on in maths and science. Despite the fact that females are the predominant candidates for positions in primary and junior high schools, in senior high schools and universities the situation is reversed.

What we have also said in this ministerial statement is that despite the fact that our performance by world standards is slipping we need to take action to attract young Australian scholars. We have proposed, through this announcement, that a new Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme be introduced. It is a scheme that is worth some $239 million over the next five years. It will give top international researchers a reason to come here and to stay here if they happen to be Australian. Each research laureate will be able to act as a mentor for research teams of up to four postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers, passing on their skills and knowledge to the next generation.

We need this sort of thing because of the ageing of our research workforce in this country. That is the sort of action that this government is taking to address the shortfall in our capacity. We need to do a lot more. The ratio of PhD completions to undergraduate degree completions in the natural and physical sciences is one to nine for males, and only one to 13 for females. That is the sort of thing we need to address. We need to address the ageing of our workforce and we need to ensure that we are able to rebuild our research infrastructure, but we will not do that unless we can attract quality candidates such as Dr Megan Clark to senior positions in science. That is the point we are making: that the appointment of candidates like Dr Clark to positions like this and things such as the Australian laureates will provide the stimulus to attract high-quality people to the Australian research sector.

Senator Abetz, I suggest you spend a bit more time on the issues and a lot less time on the personalities, and you will probably be a much better shadow minister as a result.

Question agreed to.