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Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator)

Current status

This bill became law on Mar 14th, 2023.

Policy area

Education & skills

What does this bill do?

Australia can now fund university research projects that turn priority technologies and services into ideas ready for commercial investors, helping more research reach business use.

Why was it introduced?

University research was not moving easily into industry use, and universities lacked clear, industry-led pathways for postgraduate commercialisation work. The bill lets ministers fund investor-ready priority research, industry-linked postgraduate programs, and an expert board to set strategy and yearly investment plans.

Broader context

Australia already produced strong university research, but governments and parliamentarians argued too little of it was being turned into commercial products, businesses and industry-linked postgraduate work. The bill was first put forward in February 2022, reintroduced in December 2022 after the election, then passed in March 2023 with amendments including an emissions-target safeguard so ministers could fund investor-ready research, industry partnerships and a board to steer commercialisation priorities.

Key criticism

The main criticism was not of the commercialisation goal itself but of how the program would be run, with warnings that risky public funding decisions should be monitored and that access should not skew toward already dominant universities. These concerns were limited and largely came from supportive speakers and amendment efforts; no party represented in the debate opposed the bill outright.

Who supported it?

Hon Jason Clare MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.

Introduced in House 01 Dec 2022
Passed House 09 Feb 2023
Passed Senate 06 Mar 2023
Became law 14 Mar 2023

Did it become law?

Yes

Became law 14 Mar 2023

Final passage

Passed without a counted vote

2 recorded amendment or procedural votes were found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.

Passage speed

103 days

From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. Australia can now fund university research projects that turn priority technologies and services into ideas ready for commercial investors, helping more research reach business use.

  2. Universities can now get grants for industry-linked postgraduate research, giving PhD students and researchers more chances to work with businesses while they study.

  3. A new Australia’s Economic Accelerator Advisory BoardThe expert board that advises the minister, sets the five-year research commercialisation strategy, and sets yearly funding priorities for the program. must set a five-year plan for commercialising university research, and that plan cannot conflict with Australia’s emissions reduction targets.

  4. The Australia’s Economic Accelerator Advisory BoardThe expert board that advises the minister, sets the five-year research commercialisation strategy, and sets yearly funding priorities for the program. must set yearly funding priorities and funding amounts for the program, so grant decisions follow an annual plan rather than ad hoc choices.

  5. Officials can face up to 2 years in prison for improperly sharing or copying sensitive Australia’s Economic AcceleratorThe new grant program that funds university research and postgraduate projects aimed at turning ideas into products or services that industry can use. information, protecting applicants’ personal and commercially sensitive material.

Show source excerpts
  1. Grants to assist higher education providers to undertake programs of research, in areas of national priority, that progress development of technologies and services to a state of commercial investor readiness
    Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Act 2023 final Act text
  2. The Bill amends HESA to allow for grants to be made under Part 2-3 to support new industry-led study and postgraduate research. This will provide a basis for new industry-led postgraduate programs that will create a clear and structured career pathway in innovation and commercialisation focused research and drive reform of the existing funding and reward structures in Australian universities. These programs are intended to embed researchers in industry settings, enhancing research commercialisation and translation skills and building research careers in industry.
    Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) explanatory memorandum
  3. (1A) The strategy must not be inconsistent with *Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
    Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Act 2023 final Act text
  4. (1) The *AEA Advisory Board must, in relation to each year, formulate written policies for the *Australia’s Economic Accelerator program, dealing with the following matters in relation to the year:
    Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Act 2023 final Act text
  5. An officer who discloses, copies or records information obtained or created by the officer for the purposes of the Australia’s Economic Accelerator program, other than in the course of official employment, commits an offence if the information is personal information, or the officer’s actions are likely to cause competitive detriment to a person or found an action for breach of confidence. This is the case unless an exception in this Division applies.
    Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Act 2023 final Act text

Context

Broader context for this bill

Australia already produced strong university research, but governments and parliamentarians argued too little of it was being turned into commercial products, businesses and industry-linked postgraduate work. The bill was first put forward in February 2022, reintroduced in December 2022 after the election, then passed in March 2023 with amendments including an emissions-target safeguard so ministers could fund investor-ready research, industry partnerships and a board to steer commercialisation priorities.

  1. 17 Feb 2022

    Government introduces the first Australia’s Economic AcceleratorThe new grant program that funds university research and postgraduate projects aimed at turning ideas into products or services that industry can use. bill

    The original bill was presented as a way to lift Australia’s weak research commercialisation performance despite strong university research output.

    Hansard ↗
  2. 01 Dec 2022

    Government reintroduces the bill after the election

    The minister said the measure would help universities turn world-class research into future products, processes and businesses.

    Hansard ↗
  3. 08 Feb 2023

    Research commercialisation gap draws cross-party support

    During the resumed debate, government and opposition speakers agreed Australia needed stronger pathways to turn university research into commercial applications.

    Hansard ↗
  4. 06 Mar 2023

    Senate passes the bill with amendments

    The Senate approved the bill after agreeing to amendment packages, including changes reflected in the final scheme such as the emissions-target limit on the advisory board’s plan.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  5. 07 Mar 2023

    Parliament passes the bill

    The House agreed to the Senate amendments so both chambers settled the bill in the same form.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  6. 14 Mar 2023

    Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. makes the program law

    Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law. turned the bill into an Act, completing the legal step needed to establish the new commercialisation funding and advisory arrangements.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 01 Dec 2022

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 01 Dec 2022

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 08 Feb 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Sent to Federation Chamber for debate 08 Feb 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Referred to Federation Chamber

Federation Chamber debate 08 Feb 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate

House second reading agreed 08 Feb 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Scrutiny of Bills review 08 Feb 2023

Considered by scrutiny committee (08/02/2023): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 2 of 2023

Considered by scrutiny committee

APH bill page notes
Returned from Federation Chamber 09 Feb 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Reported from Federation Chamber

House third reading agreed 09 Feb 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber. Later message exchanges with the other chamber were still recorded afterwards.

Third reading agreed to

Introduced 09 Feb 2023

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 09 Feb 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 06 Mar 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Senate second reading agreed 06 Mar 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Senate agreed to amendment packages 06 Mar 2023

The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.

Committee of the Whole debate

Senate third reading agreed 06 Mar 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Message from Senate reported 07 Mar 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

House agreed to Senate amendments 07 Mar 2023

The House dealt with Senate amendments or requests so both chambers could settle the bill in the same form.

Consideration of Senate message

Passed both houses 07 Mar 2023

Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.

Finally passed both Houses

Assent 14 Mar 2023

The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act of law., turning the bill into an Act.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

The main criticism was not of the commercialisation goal itself but of how the program would be run, with warnings that risky public funding decisions should be monitored and that access should not skew toward already dominant universities. These concerns were limited and largely came from supportive speakers and amendment efforts; no party represented in the debate opposed the bill outright.

Criticism was narrow and mostly about safeguards, fairness and gaps around related student support.

Risky use of public money

A key reservation was that backing early-stage commercial research with taxpayer money carries obvious risk, so the program should be closely monitored to make sure grants are well targeted and produce real public value.

Raised by Keith Wolahan and other supportive opposition speakers raising implementation cautions Source ↗

Fair access beyond major universities

Some supporters warned regional institutions should get a fair share of accelerator funding, reflecting concern that the benefits could otherwise flow mainly to larger or better-connected universities.

Raised by Andrew Wallace Source ↗

Missing related support for PhD students

The GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. sought to tie the bill to extending Paid Parental LeaveThe support the Greens tried to extend to PhD students through a linked amendment, which was not the main subject of the bill itself. support to PhD students, arguing research-commercialisation reforms should be matched by better support for higher-degree researchers.

Raised by Australian Greens amendment moved in the Senate Source ↗

Further sources

parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗ parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗

Votes

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not final passage.

Passed

House passed the bill

House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

09 Feb 2023

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Passed

Senate passed the bill

Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

06 Mar 2023

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Amendments at a glance

Amendments grouped by chamber. These cards include amendment outcomes recorded without a counted division.

House

Carried

House accepted all Senate amendments

The House agreed to the amendments made by the Senate, so the bill could pass both chambers in the same form.

Carried on voices

The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.

Hansard record ↗

Senate

Defeated

Call for paid parental leave for PhD students

Aye 14 No 29

Defeated 14 to 29. Support came from GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support., Jacqui Lambie Network, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal Party, Nationals, and One Nation.

06 Mar 2023

The Senate defeated the GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. amendment 29 to 14, so the bill’s second-reading motion proceeded unchanged.

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
Labor 0 / 20
Greens 10 / 0
Liberal Party 0 / 5
Independent 2 / 0
Jacqui Lambie Network 2 / 0
Nationals 0 / 2
One Nation 0 / 2
Carried

Align research strategy with emissions targets

Aye 35 No 25

Passed 35 to 25. Support came from Labor, GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support., Jacqui Lambie Network, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Liberal Party, Nationals, and One Nation.

06 Mar 2023

The Senate carried the GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. amendments 35 to 25, adding the emissions-target safeguard before the bill was reported back.

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
Labor 21 / 0
Liberal Party 0 / 19
Greens 10 / 0
Nationals 0 / 5
Independent 2 / 0
Jacqui Lambie Network 2 / 0
One Nation 0 / 1
Carried

GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. emissions-target amendments added

The Senate added two Australian GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. amendments requiring the Economic Accelerator strategy to stay consistent with Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Carried on voices

The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.

Hansard record ↗

These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.

The parliamentary record also shows 2 Australian Greens amendments agreed without a counted division.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Jason Clare

Australian Labor Party • MP 01 Dec 2022

Clare supports the bill, saying it will help universities turn strong Australian research into commercial products and businesses.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead supporting voice Supports

Angie Bell

Liberal National Party • MP 08 Feb 2023

Bell says the coalition supports the bill because it backs Australia’s research commercialisation and targets university investment to national priority areas that can create jobs and economic growth.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead non-major voice Supports

Zali Steggall

Independent • MP 08 Feb 2023

Steggall supports the bill and says it is a good step toward accelerating innovation, commercialising research and strengthening Australia's long-term economic future.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead voice Supports

Brian Mitchell

Australian Labor Party • MP 08 Feb 2023

Mitchell supports the bill, saying it will help universities commercialise research, lift Australia’s weak knowledge and technology output ranking, and back the new economic accelerator funding program.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Labor

8 speakers · 9 contributions · 8 support

  1. Brian Mitchell ★ Mitchell supports the bill, saying it will help universities commercialise research, lift Australia’s weak knowledge and technology output ranking, and back the new economic accelerator funding program.
    “This bill will ensure that we are able to bridge this gap and drive up our nation's capability to where it should be. Australia has been before and should be now a world leader in knowledge and technology outputs in the higher education sector, and the passage of this legislation will help us to do just that.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Carina Garland Garland supports the bill because she says it will help universities turn world-class research into commercial products and close the gap between research and practical application.
    “We are so fortunate in this country to have world-leading researchers in our higher education sector, and this bill supports our higher education providers. It supports the providers in my electorate and in communities right across the country, and the researchers who work there, in realising the great potential of Australian ingenuity and innovation. This bill will make it much easier for universities and businesses to work together to commercialise research, which will build our sovereign capability and boost our economy. I'm really looking forward to the possibilities this will open up for the people in Chisholm, and I'm really glad to be able to support this bill today.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  3. Fatima Payman Payman supports the bill and says it will give the government the legislative authority to fund research commercialisation, build clearer study and postgraduate pathways, and help universities and industry work together to boost innovation and the economy.
    “Finally, we are fortunate in this country to have world-leading researchers in our higher education sector. This bill supports our higher education providers and our researchers in realising the great potential of Australian ingenuity and innovation. It will help make it easier for universities and businesses to work together to commercialise research, building our sovereign capabilities and boosting our economy. It's great to see the support that we have heard from our fellow senators. I commend the bill to the Senate.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  4. Zaneta Mascarenhas Mascarenhas supports the bill because she says it will help researchers and universities turn ideas into commercially viable products, strengthen the research sector, and create secure jobs.
    “I'd like to conclude by saying that Australia is a smart nation. We are hardworking, intelligent and innovative. I support this bill because my community knows that if we are to diversify our economy we need to support our researchers and universities. I support this because I know that Curtin University, in the heart of Swan, will be supported in commercialising their research. I support this bill because an innovative, commercially viable research sector will be critical in supporting the Albanese Labor government's National Reconstruction Fund. Finally, I support this bill because I believe if we invent it here we should make it here.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  5. Louise Miller-Frost Miller-Frost supports the bill because she says it will help universities and industry commercialise research, build sovereign capability, and create secure jobs.
    “Ultimately, this bill will make it easier for universities and businesses to work together to commercialise the important research that they undertake. It will help us build our sovereign capability and it will boost our economy for the future. I commend the bill.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  6. Jason Clare ★ 2 contributions Jason Clare supports the bill and commends it to the House, saying it is a good example of the two sides working together to help universities translate and commercialise research.

    Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Jason Clare on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.

    Minister's second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 01 Dec 2022

    Clare supports the bill, saying it will help universities turn strong Australian research into commercial products and businesses. He argues it fills a gap in research translation and commercialisation, and will strengthen industry partnerships and the economy.

    “This bill amends the Higher Education Support Act2003 to support our universities in turning Australia's world-class research into the innovative products and processes and businesses of the future.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

    Second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Jason Clare supports the bill and commends it to the House, saying it is a good example of the two sides working together to help universities translate and commercialise research. He presents it as practical reform that will help universities and business work together.

    “This legislation does some good too. I know colleagues have mentioned that it was initiated by the former government. That is absolutely right. This is a great example, I think, of the two parties working together. It's also a good example of government and universities working together as well and, most importantly, it's a good example of universities and businesses working together.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
  7. Carol Brown Brown supports the bill, saying it will help universities turn strong research into commercial products and businesses.
    “This bill supports our higher education providers and our researchers in realising the great potential of Australian ingenuity and innovation.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 09 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  8. Anthony Chisholm Chisholm supports the bill and says it will help universities and industry work together to turn research into commercial products and support Australian innovation.
    “CHISHOLM (—Assistant Minister for Education, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (): I thank senators for their informative and constructive contributions to this debate. The Australia's Economic Accelerator program will support our universities to work in partnership with industry to turn Australia's world-class research into the innovative products that will inform and drive Australian businesses of the future. The AEA will bridge a gap in the current research landscape by funding projects which have higher translational and commercial potential. The measures in this bill will support our higher education providers and industry to leverage the great potential of Australian ingenuity and innovation. Once again, I thank senators for their contributions to the debate, and I commend the bill to the chamber.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Coalition

10 speakers · 11 contributions · 10 support

  1. Angie Bell ★ Bell says the coalition supports the bill because it backs Australia’s research commercialisation and targets university investment to national priority areas that can create jobs and economic growth.
    “Finally—and I won't do this often—I will thank the Labor government and Minister Clare, the Minister for Education, for continuing our significant reforms and investment in this space. This bill, and all of the supporting elements of the coalition's university research commercialisation package, ensures that the government investment into research is targeted and supporting areas of national priority. Our investment supports the country economically and our communities more broadly and provides a return on that investment that creates the jobs for our future generations. I commend this bill to the House.”

    Liberal National Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Andrew Wallace Wallace supports the bill and says it will help turn university research into commercial outcomes for small businesses, manufacturers and regional universities.
    “As I said from the outset, I support this bill because it's a good bill, and it's a good bill because it's a coalition bill. Once again, the Labor government has little plan for research commercialisation so they've taken ours, but I'm not complaining. It just shows once again that the coalition is on the side of small businesses, manufacturers and regional universities. The coalition is on the side of Australians who want to have a go. We are the party of the pioneer Australians. We are the party of the Australian dream, of the hard worker, the innovator and the changemaker. We are the party of regional Australians, and I'm proud to speak on their behalf today.”

    Liberal National Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  3. James Stevens James Stevens says the coalition supports the bill and is pleased to see the government advance it because it will create the Economic Accelerator Fund and open commercialisation opportunities for universities, CRCs and industry partners, especially in South Australia.
    “So, for those reasons, the coalition—myself included—are very pleased to see the government bring forward our bill and continue with the proposals that we put forward when Prime Minister Morrison announced this last February, in February 2022. So, a year later, we have this bill progressing through the parliament. I'm pleased to support it and I'm excited about the opportunities that it will provide for the Australian economy and, particularly, the very impressive research and development community that we have.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  4. Sarah Henderson 2 contributions Sarah Henderson supports the bill and says it will back Australia's Economic Accelerator by directing research funding toward national priorities, commercialising university research, and creating jobs and industry links.

    Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Sarah Henderson on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.

    Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Sarah Henderson supports the bill and says it will back Australia's Economic Accelerator by directing research funding toward national priorities, commercialising university research, and creating jobs and industry links. She also argues it is part of the coalition's broader university research commercialisation package and commends it to the Senate.

    “Our investment supports the economy, industries, businesses and our local communities by creating the jobs for our future generations. I commend this bill to the Senate.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

    Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Sarah Henderson says the coalition supports the bill and welcomes the government adopting measures the coalition had already introduced. She argues it will help universities and researchers commercialise ideas, boost productivity, and create jobs.

    “It is with great pleasure that I speak on the Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia's Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022 today as the shadow minister for education. The coalition supports this bill, which is the reintroduction of measures introduced by us which lapsed at the election. On behalf of the coalition, I thank the government for proceeding with our bill, which supports our world-class researchers, universities and industries to deliver for our nation.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
  5. Aaron Violi Violi says the Liberals support the bill because it helps turn university research into commercial products, which he argues will boost productivity, jobs, and growth.
    “Our country desperately needs to improve its economy, particularly by making the most of advancements in technology, in this time of high inflation and low economic growth. It is so important that we help bridge that gap between research and industry so our country can reap the rewards of our own research. It's time we stopped wasting research in academic journals. Instead we should be doing all we can to support the commercialisation of Australian research in order to drive economic growth. That's what this bill aims to achieve, and that's why we are supporting it.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  6. Nola Marino Marino supports the bill because she says it continues the coalition's own work to help universities turn world-leading research into commercial products, jobs, and new industries.
    “The coalition supports the Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022, which is, in great part, the reintroduction of the measures introduced by the former coalition government.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  7. Zoe McKenzie McKenzie says the opposition supports the bill because it will help turn university research into commercial outcomes and productivity gains.
    “I am pleased to speak in support of this bill to deliver the Australia's Economic Accelerator program, which was indeed introduced by the previous coalition government in February of last year as part of their $2.2 billion University Research Commercialisation Action Plan.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  8. Kerrynne Liddle Liddle supports the bill because it continues the coalition's research commercialisation agenda and is meant to turn university research into products, jobs and new industries.
    “The Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022 is the reintroduction of measures introduced by the former coalition government, which lapsed at the election and has now been taken up by Labor, so we do support this bill. A substantial piece of work led to a review of the government's significant investment in research because, although we do some of the finest research, it does not necessarily follow through to commercialisation to drive greater benefits for our economy. This will result in $296 million invested in 1,800 industry PhDs and over 800 fellows over a period of 10 years. For those researchers, this fuels their ideas, supporting Australia's cleverest research minds, and more broadly boosting productivity and creating jobs and new industries.”

    Liberal Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  9. Tim Wilson Tim Wilson supports the bill, saying it will help universities and businesses commercialise research more effectively and build stronger links between industry and higher education.
    “Therefore, I commend this bill to the House.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 17 Feb 2022

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  10. Keith Wolahan Wolahan says the opposition will support the bill, calling it bipartisan and worthwhile because it strengthens education, industry links and the national economy.
    “This is a worthy bill. Thank you for pursuing it. You are welcome in the electorate of Menzies at any time, so thank you.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Greens

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Mehreen Faruqi Faruqi says the GreensThe political party that moved amendments in the Senate, including one to tie the strategy to emissions reduction targets and one on PhD student support. will support the bill because they will not stand in the way of more research funding.
    “The Greens are supporting this bill because we will not stand in the way of more funding for research. But I do want to emphasise that the bill represents a worrying continuation of the Morrison government's agenda of commercialising research and increasing industry influence while neglecting fundamental research. In fact, this bill is a reheated version of a February 2022 Morrison-era bill. Translational research is of course important, but pure curiosity-driven research is just as important, if not more so, often forming the foundation for applied research.”

    Australian Greens • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

One Nation

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Malcolm Roberts Roberts says One Nation will not oppose the bill, but argues it is unlikely to deliver real innovation because government grants are a poor substitute for broader reform.
    “Do these three things, Minister, and watch the commercialisation of research take off. The government will never have to make another grant. One Nation will not oppose this bill. Without proper reform of the important parts of our economy, though, research grants are just flogging a dead horse. I will be returning to the topic of research grants lacking accountability, which is such a widespread problem in our country.”

    Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party • Senator • 06 Mar 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Minor parties and independents

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Zali Steggall ★ Steggall supports the bill and says it is a good step toward accelerating innovation, commercialising research and strengthening Australia's long-term economic future.
    “I rise in support of the government's Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia's Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022. I've previously called for urgent measures to accelerate innovation in Australia, and I believe this bill is a good step in achieving this. I welcome the government's renewed focus on science innovation and creative entrepreneurialism as we seek to strengthen our long-term economic future.”

    Independent • MP • 08 Feb 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

Full chat