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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (10 May) . . Page.. 1365 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

businesses in this country have failed to support that research when funding has been needed. Thankfully, this situation is now changing with biotechnology companies now enjoying greater recognition. It is certainly my hope that this investment by the ACT government will encourage further investment in this area.

Mr Speaker, this government has also led the way in the establishment of the ACT's first research and development fund, more details of which will be announced in the budget later this month. We have created a Science and Technology Advisory Council and an Information Industry Development Board to harness ideas and agreement from our advanced industries on growing the high-tech base in Canberra.

We have also led the way by being the first government to look at creative ways of ensuring that the brightest people from around the world are encouraged to come to Canberra to continue their work. For example, we have agreed to exemptions on school fees for the children of top-level researchers, which has been instrumental in securing their agreement to come and work at the ANU.

Finally, later this year the ACT government will be announcing the territory's first ever innovation strategy, in line with the commitment I gave when I attended the national innovations summit in Melbourne earlier this year. The strategic policy group is working with agencies, the private sector and the academic community to draw together a policy that will see innovation encouraged in the ACT, be it at school, in business, in government or in our community sector. I look forward to sharing the strategy with members.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. I refer the Chief Minister to comments made by Mr Quinlan in June of last year when he attacked the government for failing to support the developer of an anti-AIDS drug at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. Chief Minister, is the claim accurate?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, it is interesting that Mr Quinlan was capable of standing up last June and saying that the government should be in there supporting Biotron as I have not seen Mr Quinlan get in there and say, "Well done, government." In June of last year Mr Quinlan issued-

Mr Stanhope: Did you congratulate him for giving you the idea?

MS CARNELL: Yes, I did.

Mr Stanhope: Did you thank Mr Quinlan for the idea?

MS CARNELL: Yes, in public.

Mr Stanhope: When you handed over the cheque did you say that it was actually Ted Quinlan's idea?

MR SPEAKER: Be quiet, Mr Stanhope. You are not back at one of your meetings.

Mr Stanhope: What a hypocrite!

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