Seminal Difference

One seminal difference in policy remains: the coalition has not matched what is Labour's most important innovation promise. This is to bring together responsibilities for innovation, industry, science and research under one single federal minister. Innovation responsibilities currently lie within the powerful Department of Education and Science, and while there is a separate industry department, it has little influence within Cabinet. This has hampered policy development and given Australia's innovation policies a distinct science and research bias. It is the scientists rather than the engineers who call the tune in innovation policy in Canberra, so it's no surprise our policies are all about boosting government funded research and later commercializing their results.