{"id":45418,"date":"2023-10-20T15:43:28","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/newly-promoted-labor-mp-ed-husic-on-why-the-governments-innovation-agenda-is-in-danger-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:43:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:43:28","slug":"newly-promoted-labor-mp-ed-husic-on-why-the-governments-innovation-agenda-is-in-danger-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/newly-promoted-labor-mp-ed-husic-on-why-the-governments-innovation-agenda-is-in-danger-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Newly promoted Labor MP Ed Husic on why the government\u2019s innovation agenda is in danger – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ed<\/div>\n

Newly promoted Labor MP Ed Husic says startups and innovation are at risk of falling off  the government\u2019s agenda following the tight election<\/a> and Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s ministerial reshuffle.<\/p>\n

Husic, formerly a shadow parliamentary secretary assisting with startups, has been promoted to the shadow minister for employment services and workplace position as part of opposition leader Bill Shorten\u2019s own reshuffle.<\/p>\n

After the prolonged election, the loss of vocal startup advocate Wyatt Roy and the replacement of Christoper Pyne<\/a>, Husic says the government is no longer focused on the startup sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy concern is that I think some of the shine has come off and I\u2019m worried longer-term about whether or not the same level of focus and intensity will be there for the startup sector in Australia,\u201d Husic tells StartupSmart<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be a pity and it would basically reinforce the concern I had last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about innovation is that it\u2019s great whenever the attention is there but it still needs support when eyes turn elsewhere. That\u2019s where I think we\u2019re getting right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The need for sustained bipartisanship<\/h3>\n

The federal member for Chifley says innovation policies require sustained bipartisan support in order to be effective.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problems that need fixing \u2013skills and capital \u2013 can\u2019t be fixed overnight,\u201d Husic says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need dedicated, sustained attention and we\u2019re just on the cusp of whether that attention will remain, waver or completely disappear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to be able to have a bipartisan approach on it. I\u2019ve been critical that there were elements of the Turnbull government that only supported this in word and not in deed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Husic says the loss of assistant minister for innovation Wyatt Roy<\/a> will also impact the government\u2019s innovation agenda, and that the new Parliament needs to work together on these issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe loss of Wyatt Roy is a big issue \u2013 he was genuinely committed to reaching across the aisle to work with us on this thing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmarter, cannier players in the new parliament will recognise that if the two parties find common ground early on then there isn\u2019t anything that can\u2019t be achieved for this sector in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Policies not parties<\/h3>\n

The overwhelming outpouring of support from the startup sector when Malcolm Turnbull took the top job has meant that the government has become complacent in this area, Husic says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe startup sector was so pleased to see Turnbull take the helm, and I can understand why they felt that way with Tony Abbott\u2019s seeming indifference to the whole notion of innovation and startups,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there needs to be an evolution moving beyond that recognition to be a lot more wily about supporting policies not parties. They need to make parties work for their support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a real risk that the startup sector\u2019s support for the Turnbull government will be taken for granted. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s good long-term for the sector, it needs to be making the parties work for that support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the move away from the innovation portfolio, Husic says he will be bringing a lot of the lessons he learnt from startups to his new role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoyed massively the chance to interact with the Australian startup community and to build links overseas to see what people are doing with early-stage innovation,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might not be in a direct role but I\u2019m not moving too far away from the Australian startup community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say I\u2019m a card-carrying member of the fan club and a lot of the things I picked up need to be carried over to my new role. I enjoyed massively the chance to interact with the Australian startup community and to build links overseas to see what people are doing with early-stage innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his new role Husic says he will be directly addressing the impact of new technologies on Australian jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got two out of five jobs likely to be effected by tech and automation by 2030. I don\u2019t think as a country we\u2019ve got a game plan as to how to deal with that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very aware of that challenge and bringing that focus to the new gig.\u201d<\/p>\n

The successor<\/h3>\n

Husic will be replaced as shadow parliamentary secretary for startups by Tim Hammond, with the pair previously campaigning together in startup hubs during the election.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll throw himself into this space and become a really strong advocate for the sector as well,\u201d Husic says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can just tell he\u2019s going to be someone that will throw himself into the role with a great deal of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter, <\/em>LinkedIn <\/em>and <\/em>SoundCloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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