After a Slow Start, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Getting a Fair Share of Media Coverage. (February 21, 2008)

According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald's Mark Davis, Senator Kim Carr, Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research says the Rudd government "will consider new tax breaks to encourage businesses and universities to join forces in a bid to double Australia's investment in research and development".

Senator Carr is quoted as saying:

We need to double our R and D effort over time and clearly the public sector has a significant role to play in that - and we have an education revolution which will involve a research revolution as well.

But we will also need to find ways of encouraging changed attitudes within the private sector.

One option we are considering is how do we encourage, through the tax system, higher levels of investment on a sustained basis.

One issue I am particularly concerned about is how do we use incentives to encourage behavioural change in the attitudes of the universities and research agencies to the private sector and vice versa.

One of the biggest challenges we have got to face in terms of industry and innovation policy is the cultural divide that exists between our public research agencies, public entities, and the private sector.

[Extending and revamping the mechanism of tax concessions and] doing more than talking about it.

This has funding implications which need to be considered but the whole point should be to encourage behavioural change.

In addition the minister was scheduled to meet today with his State and Territory government counterparts in Canberra to outline the Rudd Government's innovation agenda.

According to Senator Carr:

These discussions represent a first step in a new era of Federal, State and Territory cooperation and reinforce the Rudd Government's commitment to fostering innovation across the Australian economy and society. We have a unique opportunity to work cooperatively to harness the benefits of innovation for all Australians.

One of the main issues to be considered by the [Rudd government's] innovation review will be the large number of government innovation and industry assistance programs.

The review provides an opportunity to work with the States and Territories to streamline these programs, identify gaps in the system, reduce duplication and improve effectiveness.

We now have a situation where the Federal, State and Territory governments are working together in the country's long-term economic interests.

And tomorrow the good Senator will be the keynote speaker at a daylong forum in Old Parliament House organised by the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) to discuss how to protect the integrity and independence of publicly funded researchers and their host institutions.

Whether Senator Carr will be present to listen as well as speak is a moot point.