Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training. Can the minister advise the Senate how the government's National Innovation and Science Agenda and university research policy will better align research institutions and business to seize economic opportunities that lead to innovative jobs for Australia's future?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. Australia has a very long and proud history of outstanding success in relation to research and innovation, and that is a history we want to build upon. Just very recently we had one of the discoveries of the century, almost 100 years to the day from the pronouncement of the general theory of relativity. Here at Parliament House, represented by Senator Seselja, Australian researchers, collaborating with a large international group, helped them in their work to observe gravitational waves. It proved a theory that even Einstein had thought impossible. It is a proud record that builds on the likes of Howard Florey's discovery of penicillin—he was from my own home town; the black box flight recorder; dual-flush toilets; and wi-fi, to name but a few of our many accomplishments over the years.

The National Science and Innovation Agenda of this government seeks to build on that legacy: to put universities front and centre in terms of the drive for stronger collaboration between industry and the research sector and to rebalance, as it is, research-block-grant incentives with additional funding of $127 million to help those universities transition to a new arrangement of greater collaboration.

There is much ground-breaking research underway in our universities, such as new farming techniques that will give us a competitive edge in the increasingly-globalised food production chain. There is new research by Monash University, developing a new method for measuring blood pressure—something that could come in handy occasionally in this chamber! It may revolutionise the medical-monitoring landscape.

We should aspire to live in a country where our scientists and researchers are as celebrated and recognised as our sportswomen and sportsmen. That is what is at the heart of our innovation agenda, to ensure that their recognition is supported and their collaboration with business is supported to give the best jobs and growth outcomes for Australia.

Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister update the Senate on how the government has responded to calls from researchers and businesses to provide a framework around commercialising university research?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia has great ingenuity and great accomplishments in our research. As the Chief Scientist himself has said, we do need to ensure that we realise a greater share of economic benefits from our research breakthroughs.

The Innovation and Science Agenda is providing an additional $1.1 billion over the forward estimates through the entire life cycle of innovation, and it puts universities at the centre of the economic transformation the Australian economy needs to undertake. That is why, as I said, we are re-balancing the incentives in research block grants in line with the findings of the Watt review. We equally recognise the importance of pure research and its critical relationship, so what we are working to do is to get the balance right—to ensure that all Australians can share in the economic benefits of the research that they fund through their tax dollars. That is why we are developing a new impact measure around research. (Time expired)

Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister update the Senate on how our commercialisation agenda has been received and on whether there are any viable alternatives?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can say that it has been very positively received. But the innovation and science agenda is of course, though, just the start of our government's journey. We want to make sure that we build on the investment of $9.7 billion this year alone in science and research and that we give certainty to our research infrastructure. We have given that certainty—decade-long certainty—to research infrastructure through the NCRIS, which those opposite left funding cliffs for. That is giving secure employment to 1,700 highly skilled technical and research staff and supporting 35,000 researchers in their work.

But it is focusing not just on research also about investment. We are providing under the innovation agenda 10-year exemptions under capital gains tax for investors in innovative start-ups. That compares with those opposite, who want to increase capital gains tax paid by those who are investing in Australia—a clear contrast on this side, with a plan to drive down taxes and create more jobs through more investment as against those opposite, who want to do the exact opposite. (Time expired)