Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the government and on behalf of the people of Australia, I want to express my sincere congratulations to Professor Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, who has been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Professor Robson and his colleagues have been working on cutting-edge research into metal-organic frameworks that can trap, store and absorb gases. As I understand it, this research brings a whole new class of solid matter into existence. The nature of Professor Robson's work is molecular, but the scale of its significance is absolutely enormous. As the prize committee pointed out, this world-leading research has the potential to address 'some of humankind's greatest challenges': harvesting water in arid environments, delivering precise drug doses to cancer patients, capturing carbon, storing and transporting hydrogen, and so much more. These are global challenges, but they are also Australian challenges, and our nation will be better able to meet those challenges and seize the opportunities they present thanks to this landmark Australian scientific research. Professor Robson's work really matters—pun intended.

But there's been a clear theme in the coverage of this honour this morning, and that is his humility. He has been researching, teaching and inspiring people at the University of Melbourne for nearly 60 years. He will inspire countless others with this outstanding achievement, of which all Australians should be proud. It's an achievement for Professor Robson but also a huge achievement for Australian science, for the Australian Research Council, which has backed this research over decades, and for Australia's research sector more broadly. On behalf of the government, I warmly congratulate Nobel Prize winner Professor Robson.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the opposition, I rise to support the words of the Prime Minister in recognising University of Melbourne professor Richard Robson as one of three scientists awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Professor Robson has earned his global recognition in receiving this Nobel prize. He has been a lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne since 1966. He produced the first metal-organic frameworks in the early 1990s and has continued to explore different forms of metal-organic frameworks ever since. Metal-organic frameworks are a new class of solids being developed into gas and energy storage devices, catalytic reactors and other potentially revolutionary products. Mr Speaker, you may still be celebrating the victory of the Brisbane Broncos from the weekend. In this great sporting nation of ours we so often celebrate the contribution of sports men and women, but in Australia we celebrate our scientists too, and today we celebrate Professor Richard Robson. In this era of TikTok and the three-second soundbite, the fact that Professor Robson has given over 60 years of service, honing his expertise in chemistry, is well worthy of our recognition in this place. Today that long career of curiosity, discovery and endeavour is rightly recognised on the world stage. Congratulations, Professor Robson.