Labor restores 3pc of GDP research pledge to party platform

In a policy reversal Labor has restored to its draft platform a goal to boost Australia’s spending on research to nearly 3 per cent of GDP.

Former Labor senator and minister Kim Carr. Picture: Gary Ramage

In a policy backflip, Labor has restored to its draft platform a goal to boost Australia’s spending on research to nearly 3 per cent of GDP, following a campaign driven by former Labor senator Kim Carr.

The research pledge, which has been in the Labor platform since 2014, was left out of earlier drafts of the 2023 platform which will go to a vote at the ALP National Conference in Brisbane later this month.

Currently Australia spends 1.8 per cent of GDP on research – a figure which has declined from 2.2 per cent in 2008 – less than the OECD average of 2.7 per cent.

Mr Carr, a former innovation, industry, science and research minister in the Gillard and Rudd governments, said in June that the omission of the 3 per cent target from Labor’s draft platform was “strange” and that the party was “going backwards” in its commitment to research as a driver of innovation.

On Wednesday Mr Carr welcomed the restoration of the research spending target to the Labor platform.

“Given that so many (Albanese government) ministers had made public statements in support of the 3 per cent goal, it was surprising to me that it had been excluded from the draft,” he said.

Mr Carr said the question now was that, given the importance of research investment to the productivity agenda and Australia’s international competitiveness, how does the government secure 3 per cent of GDP by 2030?

The latest version of the ALP 2023 draft platform says “Labor will work with business, industry, universities and research institutes to boost Australia’s investment in research and devel­opment as a percentage of GDP, getting it closer to 3 per cent of GDP achieved in comparable countries”.

The wording is almost identical to the current platform adopted at the last national conference in 2021. A spokesman for Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said the 3 per cent goal was previously in the Labor platform and is still there.

Universities Australia chair David Lloyd will say on Wednesday, in a speech to the National Press Club, that getting to 3 per cent would be a “great start” but is “not good enough for a nation of Australia’s standing”.

“Three per cent itself is a very, very long way from research and development investments being made by other nations in our region,” Professor Lloyd will say.

“Germany, the US, and Japan all spend more than 3 per cent of GDP on research and development – countries that, arguably, lead the world in manufacturing and technological development.”

The Group of Eight, which represents Australia’s research intensive universities, commended Labor for restoring the 3 per cent goal.

“Lifting R&D expenditure from 1.8 per cent of GDP to 3 per cent is a worthy and essential ambition,” said Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson.

“There is a direct link between the national drop in R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP and productivity, and we must back our talent and potential to drive that productivity, boost living standards and social wellbeing.”

Meanwhile a new survey released for National Science Week has revealed strong support for science. The survey, part of the international 3M State of Science Index, found that 93 per cent of Australians believe positive outcomes can be achieved if people stand up for and defend science, and 92 per cent say science and technology professionals can help us solve the problems of tomorrow.

Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert said the new data showed that Australians understood the importance of science to their lives, the economy and our ability to tackle complex threats.