Page 1710 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 15 May 2019
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MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how is the ACT government supporting the local space sector?
MR GENTLEMAN: The space industry is a priority sector to achieve economic diversification and growth in the region. We have provided leadership in the national conversation to develop Australia’s space industry, including the Space Agency. The ACT government is committed to working with Canberra’s local space industry to help build a sustainable and globally competitive industry.
To date we have supported space projects to strengthen Canberra’s space sector such as $250,000 to the ANU’s national space test facility to enable free access to Australia’s largest space flight test facilities and $375,000 to help establish the national space mission design facility to bring together industry, agencies and the research sector to rapidly design and test the viability of space missions.
Building on these investments the government has also committed $9.7 million over the next three years, through the priority investment program, to support the growth of key sectors, including space, by facilitating collaboration between the ACT government, industry and the tertiary sectors.
Our actions are in stark contrast to the federal Liberal government, who have turned their backs on local businesses in this sector and refused to accept the clear evidence that Canberra leads the nation in space.
MS ORR: Are there any partners who will assist the territory government’s endeavours regarding the space sector?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Orr for the supplementary. As in so many areas, the future will be brighter for Canberra under a Shorten federal Labor government. In a Shorten government Canberrans will find a friend, a partner willing to grow and make our city even better than it is today. We will not have a government like the current federal government that has spent six years attacking Canberrans and their businesses, ripping out jobs so that they can pork-barrel.
The federal Labor Party recognise that this city is the national capital and that we are well placed in sectors such as space to help the nation grow and create more jobs. Over $55 million has been committed to help develop the national space industry and recently there was a $20 million commitment to create a space industry cluster in our region, recognising the central role our region has in space. There was also a $10 million boost to the capabilities of CSIRO. It is very clear that only under a Labor government will we see Canberra protected and the bush capital that we call home enhanced.
ACTION bus service—school services
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Transport. I refer the minister to a Canberra Times article dated 2 May in which a spokesperson for the ACT’s peak body for public school parents stated that they unsuccessfully pushed for a “no child left behind” guarantee to be enforced across the new bus network.
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