Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Will the minister advise the Senate how the government is working with universities and the private sector to encourage greater innovation and research?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Reynolds for her question and for her continued interest in the university sector and research. I particularly note her involvement as one of the convenors of the Parliamentary Alliance for Research and Innovation, along with Senator Dio Wang. I believe that tomorrow they will be hosting an exciting event for members and senators with the chief scientists of Israel, which I would encourage many of you to get along to.

In relation to Senator Reynolds's question, over the forward estimates the government has committed some $10.7 billion to research in a number of areas. We will be spending some $9.7 billion across government, in 2015-16, on science, research and innovation. As part of our Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda we have outlined the strategy to improve Australia's economic performance, through better translation of research into commercial outcomes, which will be enhanced upon with the release of the innovation strategy later this year. I am proud that our government is investing more than $3 billion over four years in the highest quality research, leading to the discovery of new ideas and knowledge, through the Australian Research Council, and I note and thank the Senate for the passage immediately prior to Senate of the ARC funding caps legislation, thereby providing certainty to the ARC over the next couple of years.

There are some incredibly exciting proposals that the ARC has supported, such as Professor Mark Kendall, an inaugural ARC Future Fellow at the University of Queensland. I am sure children around the country would be delighted to know he is pioneering needle-free immunisation technology that promises to eliminate the need for needles and syringes for vaccine delivery. Another is Professor Veena Sahajwalla, who is turning car tyres into steel. I had the pleasure of visiting her research facility at the University of New South Wales, where they are delivering incredible progress, having diverted over two million waste tyres from landfill. They are working closely with OneSteel on the commercialisation of their research. (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister also update the Senate on what the government is doing to create more jobs and better research outcomes?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is focused on how we translate research effort into economic outcomes, improved policy outcomes, jobs and employment opportunities for Australia. We recognise that research infrastructure is critical to this, and that is why as a government we addressed the funding cliff that was left by the previous government for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, providing $3 million to give certainty of operation to 30 June 2017. Indeed, we are focused on making sure we address that issue for a longer term certainty in relation to NCRIS and other areas of research training.

It is programs like this and other research programs that support new infrastructure such as the exciting new facility at Deakin University in Geelong, the Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training, which I had the pleasure of opening just last week. This $55 million facility includes manufacturing technologies, CNC machining centres, 3-D printers, a virtual reality lab, a chemical corrosives and material lab and a high voltage lab, all designed to improve— (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for his answer on those exciting new opportunities, and ask a further supplementary question. Are there any threats to these new innovations and the government's plans to strengthen our world-leading university sector?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through the development of our strategies and the upcoming innovation statement, this government has been undertaking a very careful process of building the pieces to make sure that our research infrastructure and our research sector are well placed to help support the Australian economy transform into the future. Back in July of this year I noticed Senator Carr was criticising the number of research reviews being undertaken by the government. But the important thing about these reviews is that they are all feeding into a process that can provide sound policy for the future. Research is an important and complex area, and it should not be run without consultation. It should not be run without analysis, which Senator Carr seems to suggest.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On my left!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These types of reviews are important inputs into the innovation statement that Prime Minister Turnbull is developing. They will be important informants of how we release and develop the innovation statement to ensure Australia's economy responds to the opportunities of the future and secures jobs and opportunities for all Australians into the future.