Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry and Innovation. Minister, the strategic examination of research and development report, released last week, is called Ambitious Australia. Much of that report, including its key recommendation to establish a national innovation council, is spookily similar to the Rudd government's Venturous Australia report from 2008. Given that this recommendation for a national innovation council is almost two decades old, will the government commit to actually acting on it?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm answering the question in the absence of Minister Conroy. As I indicated the other day, the government takes the recommendations of the strategic review very seriously. In fact, I met with Robyn Denholm and other members of the panel—Ian Chubb and others—this morning, as it turns out, to talk about the recommendations—and the PM, similarly. That's because we understand the central role of research, development and innovation in the productivity challenge we have. Productivity came up last year—it grew a bit faster than the 20-year average—but isn't growing fast enough to lift living standards into the future. We're working through the 20 recommendations.

When it comes to the council that the honourable member refers to, Minister Ayres, in the other place, working with a number of colleagues, is working out the best way forward. We know the honourable member has a particular interest in medical research—as does the member for Melbourne, who has been engaging with us in her characteristically diligent and dedicated way, representing the wonderful researchers in the community of Melbourne. We'll continue to work with the member for Melbourne and any members in this place with an interest in making sure we make the most out of research, development and innovation. We understand the fundamental and central role it will continue to play in our economy as we try and meet these economic objectives of a much more productive economy with higher living standards in the future.