Page 3049 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 16 September 2015

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It is important to distinguish between what the government did and what was done despite the government. It is interesting; I have read the report Dr Bourke quotes. It is a great report, but it is not unexpected. We have always done well in these studies. What he forgot to read, members, is the abstract on the front page, which says:

The presence of publicly funded research organisations in a region, particularly those hosting Centres of Excellence and Cooperative Research Centres, produced levels of patenting and trademarking three and a half times higher than the national average.

I will read it again:

The money spent in those institutions is not included, but the effect is three-and-a-half times the national average. We have things like the Invasive Animals CRC and the Plant Biosecurity CRC.

Mr Barr: Why is that a bad thing?

MR SMYTH: I am not saying it is a bad thing; I am saying it is a great thing.

MADAM SPEAKER: You are not having a conversation across the chamber.

MR SMYTH: I should not take up the Chief Minister’s interjection, but it is a thing the Chief Minister forgets to acknowledge. Perhaps he did not read the abstract. It is right there on the front page. It is in the guide on how to read this document. The section on page 18 that covers this states:

The relationship with the latter was particularly pronounced and, as and for all new entries, was accentuated in the case of universities with CRCs—

we have universities—

and centres of excellence. Business entries within the Professional Scientific and Technical Services industry were found to increase by 250 per cent in regions where a Centre of Excellence was present and 233 per cent in a region where a Cooperative Research Centre was present.

So it is not unexpected that we have these high levels. We have two full campuses—ANU and UC—and we are very supportive of them and always have been.

Mr Barr: You can’t even bring yourself to celebrate success.

MR SMYTH: Well, I am celebrating the success. I am celebrating the success, Chief Minister.

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