Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Marshall for his very informed question. When our government came to office, we had to take on a rather sorry legacy: the legacy of 10 years of neglect under the Howard government. What is more, this sorry legacy was so aptly identified and highlighted by my literate, and now indignant, friend Senator Mason. Unfortunately, Senator Mason—and I know his frankness on this is to be commended—only revealed part of the story. The OECD helps us out a great deal on this matter, and, of course, we now know that UNESCO has joined us on this matter as well.

Under the Howard government, our universities, quite frankly, were simply underfunded. The R&D investment was stuck well below OECD averages and our position on the World Economic Forum index was in freefall. As a government, we were determined to reverse those trends. As far as we are concerned, innovation is not simply an optional extra. It is a key to ensuring that we have high-tech, high-skilled, high-wage jobs in this country. That is the sort of economy we want: a modern economy that ensures high-tech, high-skilled, high-wage jobs. We want to ensure that Australia is richer, we want to ensure that Australia is greener and we want to ensure that Australia is fairer. The policies that we are pursuing are about achieving that. We are about providing jobs, security and a better way of life for all Australians.

It is a tragedy that those opposite have felt it so necessary to obstruct and oppose these measures sight unseen, because their policies essentially are stuck in a different era. These are the great knuckle-draggers of modern— (Time expired)