Innovation – it’s the new buzz word for politicians and especially for our Prime Minster. There is rarely a speech goes by where Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t invoke images of Australia’s bright future built on the back of innovation, agility and dynamism.
But for all this talk, the PM’s actions do not back up his rhetoric. Indeed there is a significant threat to the future of Australia’s innovative capacity for generations to come, and that is the Turnbull Liberal-National government itself and its cuts to Australian schools and universities.
At its heart, innovation fills niches, produces new goods and services, and creates new and more efficient and effective ways of doing things. This delivers growth in our GDP, growth in productivity, greater jobs and higher wages. And the key to unlocking this innovation boom is fostering the knowledge, skills and creativity of our people, not only for those currently in the workforce but for generations to come.
