Bob Day (SA, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges the Turnbull Government's renewed focus on innovation and improved commercialisation of research;

(b) welcomes the recent Australian delegations to Israel, including a delegation with the Assistant Minister for Innovation (Mr Roy), to support innovation-related trade with Israel;

(c) notes that the 2015 Bloomberg Global Innovation index:

(i) ranked Israel 5th overall ahead of the United States of America (US) in 6th and Australia in 13th place, and

(ii) shows Australia now has free trade agreements with the 1st (Japan), 2nd (South Korea), 6th (US) and 8th (Singapore) ranked nations;

(d) recognises that the European Union, the US, Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Turkey have direct free trade agreements with Israel; and

(e) calls on the Australian Government to initiate negotiations with Israel towards a free trade agreement.

I seek leave to make a short statement.