Published on the 21/09/2015 | Written by Newsdesk

Fifteen years into the millennium, Australia has been delivered its first “21st Century Government” courtesy of newly installed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull…

Less than a week after stepping down as communications minister to take an (eventually successful) tilt at the prime ministership, Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled his front bench.

Former education minister Christopher Pyne will be appointed Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science which Turnbull described as “one of our most important agendas.”

“If we want to remain a prosperous, first world economy with a generous social welfare safety net, we must be more competitive, we must be more productive. Above all we must be more innovative. We have to work more agilely, more innovatively, we have to be more nimble in the way we seize the enormous opportunities that are presented to us. We’re not seeking to proof ourselves against the future. We are seeking to embrace it.”

Pyne will also be held to account for the country’s progress in science, technology, engineering and match (STEM) education.

It’s interesting to note that this comes exactly a year after Australia’s chief scientist Professor Ian Chubb effectively gave the country an F in innovation, noting that it was then the only OECD nation without a national strategy for science, technology or innovation.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had little interest in the area, whereas under Turnbull innovation, science and digital disruption are being cast front and centre. But he also signalled the need for significant reform ahead.

According to the Prime Minister; “We do a lot of great things in Australia. We do a lot of great research and development, a lot of great science. One of the things we do not do well at all is the collaboration between primary research, typically in universities, and business. We’re actually the second worst in the OECD, so it is, that is a very, very important priority to make a change to that.

“Now a lot of this change is cultural. It is really important for leaders, for prime ministers, for ministers, for people in the media to talk about the importance of change, to talk about the importance of science, to talk about the importance of technology. We are living in the 21st century … We have to be a government – and we are a government, we will be a government – for the future.”

One of the ministers responsible for delivering infrastructure to support the future is Senator Mitch Fifield who is appointed Minister for Communications and for the Arts and will have the job of bringing Turnbull’s baby – the national broadband network – to fruition.

Turnbull cast the significant changes made to Government, which has elevated five women to senior positions including the nation’s first female defence minister, Senator Marise Payne, as an important renewal for the Government.