Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. I refer to the 2010 world science report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, released this month. Can the minister inform the Senate what he has done since he came to office to address the decline in both industry competitiveness and government support for innovation, which the report notes occurred in the early 2000s? Can the minister inform the Senate on the progress of the significant reforms since 2007 alluded to in the report?

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

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate what the new direction he has outlined means for science and research in Australia?

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

Australian industry cannot move up the value chain without a world-class research sector. That is why, for example, we are providing $1.1 billion for facilities and for equipment to support research in areas of Australia’s strength through the Super Science Initiative. What we are doing here is focusing on the technologies that will make our existing industries much more sustainable and support the growth in critical industries of the future.

We are about building an economy for the 21st century. We have put our universities on a sustainable funding formula. We have ensured that for the first time in years we are delivering an extra $2.6 billion for block grants through to indexation. We will provide $4.1 billion in infrastructure through the Education Investment Fund. We are about supporting the critical work of our public research agencies. That is why the CSIRO funding has jumped 18 per cent since we came to office. (Time expired)

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister explain how the innovation agenda is transforming traditional manufacturing industries such as textiles, clothing and footwear?

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

Senator Marshall, you are quite right to draw attention to these issues. Last week I drew the Senate’s attention to the success of the New Car Plan for a Greener Future. Thanks to that plan, the auto industry is making the investment it needs to be more sustainable and to tap into global markets.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ryan interjecting—

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

I am sorry that you, Senator—particularly you, considering the state from which you come—regard this as a matter that you can laugh at. You think that the employment of hundreds of thousands of Australians in high-skilled, high-wage jobs in manufacturing is something to laugh at. Why don’t you go back and tell your constituents that. It is not just in cars; it is in food, textiles and building products. It is about creating the opportunities and supporting the business transformation right cross the manufacturing sectors in this country. That is why we are ensuring that the textile, clothing and footwear sectors, which employ so many Australians, are able to do so with confidence into the future. (Time expired)