In a speech to the National Press Club yesterday Mr Husic talked-up discovery research and tech driven manufacturing

“ We want Australia to be a country that makes things again,” the released text of his address states.

“Working with our partners around the world, we want to see Australia once more at the forefront of technological innovation and advanced manufacturing,” he added.

Mr Husic also spoke up for discovery research, “some of the greatest breakthroughs in science have come from happy accidents, or repeated failures. Today, we are benefiting from years of basic research in areas that are now poised for commercialisation. Areas like quantum technologies through to synthetic biology.”

Which cheered up the Academy of Science, “we welcome Minister Husic’s recognition of the value of basic & fundamental research in his speech today. Reducing support for fundamental research is like taking books from the library and never replacing them. Sooner or later, there are no books,” the academy tweeted.

Mr Husic also expanded on the government’s support for science and manufacturing and there was one bit where his admirers will have wanted even more.

“It has been a longstanding Labor ambition to move investment in research & development in this country.

“One of my predecessors Kim Carr was a tireless advocate to achieve change, and I am picking up that torch,” Mr Husic’s text states.

This followed a speech text from earlier this month in which Mr Husic mentioned the need to move research and development from 1.79 per cent of GDP towards 3 per cent.

But yesterday’s speech made no mention of how government could make it happen.