Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Senator Ronaldson. I refer the minister to the government's election promise to boost investment in clinical trials—a promise repeated by the industry minister on Monday night. I ask the minister: why is the high-level advisory body on clinical trials, announced and funded by the Labor government in February of last year, still waiting to attend its first meeting? Why is the government stalling on an election promise and bipartisan policy position?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is always nice to get one of those rare questions from Senator Carr, so I thank him at two minutes past three for doing so. I am still waiting for one from his little mate beside him, but that might come in due course.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ronaldson, come to the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I will say is there has been a lot of talk by Senator Carr in the last week about the importance of science, and that has been intermingled with a bit of sleazy attack on Senator Sinodinos. We have had a mixture of science, and we have had a mixture of sleaze on the way through. But he is not on his own there. I noticed there was a Senate inquiry that Senator Carr has been pushing for in relation to science and innovation. You have to look at this release to really see what drives Senator Carr and what drives the Australian Labor Party. What they have said—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ronaldson, resume your seat.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise again on a point of order on relevance. We have gone to 58 seconds and the minister has gone nowhere near the question, which was specifically about the advisory body on clinical trials.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I do draw the minister's attention to the question. You now have 58 seconds remaining to answer the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will, of course, continue the entirely accurate answer I was giving to that question from Senator Carr. I just want to read a paragraph from this press release. It has to be read to be believed. This is from Senator Carr, who was the in-out, in-out industry minister—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You need to address the question, Senator Ronaldson. I have drawn your attention to it.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President: he was the in-out, in-out industry minister. Under Rudd he was in; under Gillard he was out; then he was back in again.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Wait a minute, Senator Conroy. You know you need to wait until you have got the call. You have people behind you who are disrupting question time at this moment.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order regarding relevance. I think you have kindly suggested he might want to address the question, but he will be giving us his tips for who is going to play for the Melbourne footy club on the weekend next and defining that as relevant. I would ask you again to draw his attention to the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did draw the minister's attention to the question at the 58-second mark. Senator Conroy, you should not interpret my remarks as anything other than drawing the minister's attention to the question. That is all I did.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy is right. I am deeply concerned about the outcome of my team's match over the weekend, but not nearly as concerned as I am about the comment from Senator Carr. I will just read this. Now, just remember, Senator Carr, the man who ripped manufacturing jobs out of this country over six years, was the science minister for four, five or six years. (Time expired)

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. This will give you a chance to find your brief, Minister. What action has the government actually taken to ensure that Australia remains an attractive place for global investments in the field of clinical research?

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder if he can say the words 'clinical research'.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are getting so smart in your old age, aren't you!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ronaldson, ignore interjections. All you need to do is address the question that has been asked. Ignore interjections; they are disorderly.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Collins for her much needed interjection. I want to go through this press release, which I have been trying to do now for about three minutes. Can I just go through it. Now, Senator Carr—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. I am fascinated about the media release, Minister, but I would like to hear the answer to the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are seven seconds remaining to address the question. I do draw the minister's attention to the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have been trying to do now for two questions, I want to refer—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. As I understand it, Senator Ronaldson is seeking to read from a media release of the opposition. He was asked a question about government policy, not about opposition policy.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have ruled on the matter. I have asked the minister to address the question that has been asked. The minister does have four seconds remaining.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Four seconds: who's in, who's out?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Senator Carr was in and Senator Carr was out, Senator Conroy, as you well know. And you actually had a bit to do with that— (Time expired)

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I would remind the minister that my question was about clinical trials, and I would ask him: is this not another example of a broken election commitment to the Australian science and innovation community?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not entirely sure what Senator Carr is missing here. His question was about the future of science. I have been trying to answer this question now for nearly five minutes.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When the interjections on my left cease we will continue. Senator Ronaldson—

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is called delayed gratification.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fifield, I am waiting to hear from Senator Ronaldson.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will try again to talk about the future of science, as I have been trying to do now for some time. Senator Carr was the science minister for five years. In his press release with the Leader of the Opposition—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I am desperately trying to take a point of order on relevance.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left and on my right! I have got Senator Moore on her feet seeking to take a point of order.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, again, my point of order is on relevance. The minister has 30 seconds. The issue is about whether this was a broken election promise to the Australian science and innovation community around the issue of clinical trials and research.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister needs to address the question. The minister has 30 seconds remaining, and I call the minister.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to talk about the future of science. As I was saying, Senator Carr, who was the science minister for six years, put out a press release with the Leader of the Opposition—for six years he was the science minister—and I will read from it. This was an inquiry that got through the Senate. The press release on it said:

The Inquiry will help define a much needed long term strategy for science and innovation …

You were the minister for six years— (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, it is my melancholy duty to inform the Senate that I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.