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want our cities and regions to remain habit- able and productive. And we want our sights set on previously unthought-of possibilities. Let us make the most of recent wake-up calls. The 2019 bushfires showed what happens when we walk away from science into the darkness of denial; a virus has illuminated the path back. The moment is ours to seize. The Hon Anthony Albanese MP has been the Prime Minister of Australia since 2022, and Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labor Party since 2019. He has been Member of Parliament for Grayndler since 1996.

for the maintenance of our standard of living and even for our survival.” Returning to the complacency we saw be- fore the 2019 bushfires and coronavirus out- break is not an option.Today, droughts wors- en and temperature records are broken. But we don’t have to surrender. Guided by sci- ence, we can fight climate change and create jobs at the same time. We can have a future as a renewable energy superpower, with all the associated environmental and economic benefits. You can get the policy settings right only when you respect and heed the science – and when the science is clear, politicians should act. “Scientific research is a necessity for the maintenance of our standard of living and even for our survival.” Complacency has also decreased our econ- omy’s resilience. The cautionary tale of Aus- tralia’s car industry is emblematic. This Gov- ernment withdrew co-investment funding and dared manufacturers to leave – an in- vitation they accepted. This act of self-sab- otage knocked us down the technological totem pole and further narrowed an eco- nomic base that has become overly reliant on services and the export of raw materials. We made ourselves vulnerable to a decline in living standards as a result. And when the next crisis severs global supply lines, we will be exposed. This is our chance to start turn-

ing things around. We must strengthen our capacity to create. We must become serious about high-tech manufacturing. But our re- search and development investment has fall- en below two per cent of GDP – below coun- tries including South Korea, Israel, Sweden, Denmark and Singapore. As a nation, we need to be thinking about what share of our national income should be set aside for local research and development (R&D). Just as the Reserve Bank provides a de- gree of certainty to the financial markets on the future path of interest rates, Government needs to provide guidance on projected R&D spending. That way, the Australian communi- ty can invest in science with confidence. We could better commercialise research, there- by building up industries at home and selling their product to the world. Our failure in this area reduces potential revenue from intel- lectual property – undermining investment, entrepreneurship and technological growth. Labor has backed calls from the tech sector for R&D tax incentive refunds to be paid ear- ly. As part of our partnership with the private sector, a future Labor Government would encourage the superannuation industry to invest in infrastructure, technology and R&D consistently with members’ interests. Take artificial intelligence (AI). In 2018 alone, AI contributed an estimated US$2 bil- lion to the global economy. Within a decade, that figure is forecast to reach nearly US$16 billion. At the last federal election, Labor championed the establishment of a Nation- al Centre of AI Excellence, which would help chart the likely national investment required in this area by bringing together those with a

stake in AI’s application in our economy. Aus- tralia has the talent and brainpower to prove a world leader in scientific endeavours, but hasn’t always shown the capacity to retain our most brilliant minds. We also need to be thinking about how to integrate our scientific research into nation- al projects and objectives. We want a nation adapted to a carbon-constrained world. We “Political complacency has left Australia vulnerable to crisis. Now is the time to heed warnings from the scientific community, and act.”

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Video - National Artificial Intelligence Centre

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