Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Abetz, I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes the critical role of the former Howard Government’s Commercial Ready program in fostering innovation, leveraging private sector capital, creating jobs and developing new ideas and medical solutions for Australians;

(b)   condemns:

(i)   the Rudd Labor Government for its foolish and short-sighted decision to cut this program,

(ii)   the Rudd Labor Government for pre-empting the outcome of the National Innovation Review, and

(iii)   the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Senator Carr) for describing the Commercial Ready program as assistance to ‘millionaires’; and

(c)   calls on the Rudd Labor Government to:

(i)   fund all projects approved between 28 April and 13 May 2008,

(ii)   compensate individuals and companies who spent money preparing grant applications in good faith, and

(iii)   at least restore the Commercial Ready program for the 2008-09 financial year.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I understand formality has been granted, but I want to make a short statement on behalf of the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Apart from the opinions expressed in it, which Senator Carr and the government do not share, this motion includes two factual errors. The first is that Senator Carr has never referred to the Commercial Ready program as ‘assistance to millionaires’. The Hansard reference does not record the interjection that Senator Carr was responding to. I make that point on behalf of Senator Carr. The second error is that the motion states that projects were approved in the period between 28 April and 13 May. I am informed that Senator Carr has said that no projects were approved during that period. Finally, Senator Carr notes that the motion calls on the Senate to commit to unspecified and unspecifiable expenditure because it calls on the government to provide compensation to companies that were preparing grant applications. With those few words, I want to ensure that the record is correct in respect of this matter.

Question agreed to.