Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. I note that the minister launched Science Week last Thursday. Can the minister apprise the Senate of what Science Week involves?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for his question and his interest in all matters scientific. He is a great Western Australian. Yes, I did launch National Science Week last Thursday. Senator Bilyk was there with me. We had a great time. What a privilege it was to be there as minister for science in a room full of great scientists, including our Nobel laureate Professor Brian Schmidt, leaders of our science organisations—Questacon, the Australian Academy of Science and others—and, importantly, high school science teachers. A great number of high school students have been working away over the last eight months in 17 schools across the country on the first Young Australians' Plan for the Planet. It is an initiative that gets young people looking at the challenges we face, drawing on their STEM skills, articulating the questions and developing methodologies for coming to solutions—in other words, learning the scientific method and learning how to be scientists. This is a program that will be built on each year from now and will go to schools overseas.

The government is supporting this year's National Science Week by providing $500,000 in grants for 39 projects under the Inspiring Australia—Science Engagement Program. More than 1.3 million people are registered for more than 2,000 events across the country through to 20 August. There are hands-on activities, competitions, plenty to do online, astronauts at the Sydney Opera House explaining to people what it takes to have a mission to Mars—this sort of thing—and a young guy who did a video trying to explain how it is that cats when they fall off a table land on their feet, and that's being used by space scientists to work out how we should walk in space. No, it's about exciting the scientific curiosity of our young people and getting more young people involved in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline what he is doing to get involved in Science Week?

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

He is being thrown off the table.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, that's right! I might be walking in space! National Science Week is for everyone. So an important thing I have done is to invite all members and senators in this place to sign up for events and activities happening in their electorates, including their local schools, and I thank those of you in this chamber and in the other chamber who have taken up that opportunity.

As parliamentarians, we are in a position to shine a light on the value of scientists and science. I will be launching the Star Portal, a great initiative of the Chief Scientist in partnership with some of Australia's biggest institutions. It is an open access web database of extracurricular STEM programs and activities on offer around the country especially designed for students, teachers and parents. As part of CSIRO's STEM in Schools program for Science Week I will be going to a small primary school in Gundaroo to take part in a virtual classroom run by Australian scientists working in the space industry. It will be a webinar. It's occurring in a number of schools across the country— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a final supplementary question.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on what the Turnbull-Joyce government is doing to support science?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my portfolio science has its own importance in its own right. It is critical, though, to see science in the broader context of innovation and industry. The National Science Statement, released in March, set out the government's vision for an Australian society engaged in and enriched by science. The government will take a strategic view of skills and talent, ensuring Australians have the broad base of STEM skills required for the workforce of the future. Through our National Innovation and Science Agenda's Inspiring Australia—Science Engagement Program, we are promoting participation in STEM through sponsorship grants, Citizen Science Grants, the Maker Projects and the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grants. We will be investing over $10.3 billion in research and development, including $3.6 billion in university research and a record $794 million for the CSIRO. Under our Innovation and Science Agenda, looking to the longer term, we are investing $2.3 billion over 10 years to support our critical research infrastructure.