Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share 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.