Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to direct the senator's attention to the Commercialisation Australia grants I have announced this week. These are grants that back up people who want to back themselves. They confirm that Australians are willing to invest in themselves and they are willing to ensure that they have a stake in the future. Green Distillation Technologies from New South Wales is one example. They are building a pilot plant to turn old tyres into oil, carbon and reclaimed steel. Theirs is the sort of technology looking to ensure that we are able to reduce Australia's dependence on oil imports. We see the sort of technology that gets old tyres out of landfill and into more productive use. That is the sort of message that we want to sell to the world.

I know there are some ignoramuses on the other side of the chamber who are not interested in science, not interested in economics, not interested in facing up to the challenges of the 21st century. But the sort of knuckle dragging that we have seen— (Time expired)