Subjects: Announcement of NHMRC Industry Research Fellowship Scheme
E&OE
Thank you Professor Cunningham, Professor Castaldi, Mr Bob Carr the Premier of New South Wales, my Ministerial colleagues ? Jackie Kelly, Craig Knowles the New South Wales Health Minister, my colleague Ross Cameron ? the Federal Member for Parramatta, Senator Marise Payne, other Parliamentary colleagues, Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, other many distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. And of course I acknowledge the presence of one of my predecessors as Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, during his Government the commencement of Westmead Hospital was announced.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I join the Premier in saluting on this occasion the excellence and the dedication of medical researchers and medical scientists in Australia. Of the many heroes of Australian life, none are entitled to greater praise and greater reverence than the doctors and other medical practitioners and researchers and scientists who over the years this country has produced. To use that colloquialism, Australia has always punched well above her weight when it comes to medical research and medical science. Given our population, we have out performed many countries and we have every reason to look back over the history of Australia and to salute the contribution of just so many people and I know that the most recent of those, Dr Peter Doherty, who's agreed to become patron of the institute but unfortunately can't be here today, is an example of that.
The Premier was right when he reminded us of our own experience in our life time at the way in which medical science has altered the hopes and the aspirations, and abolished the fear of disease and early death and crippling paralysis that was the lot of so many people in the 1940s and 1950s and indeed the 1960s. But of course the conquering of those diseases and those challenges have been accompanied by the arrival of new challenges and the more modern medical challenges are no less daunting and difficult than those of earlier years. But the store of human happiness is a lot greater because of the achievements of medical science and it is something that deserves the ongoing support of governments of all political persuasions. Out of the many things that I have tried to do in my time as Prime Minister, none I'm much more proud of than the fact that in the Budget before last we committed ourselves to doubling over a period of four years of the Federal Government's contribution to health and medical research in this country. It is an incredibly important investment in the future of this country and it's a great investment in the future happiness of the Australian people.
This institute does represent an expression of what Peter Wills called in his review the virtuous cycle. The partnership - dare I invoke a phrase I often do ? the Social Coalition, whereby you have the Government, the business community, dedicated professionals and others working together to achieve desirable social goals. It's already been indicated that the Federal Government, our NHMRC funding contributed a million dollars to stage one and, as indicated by Professor Cunningham, will be contributing two million dollars towards the construction of stage two.
I'm also very pleased to announce that the NHMRC will establish ten research fellowships in industry each worth $80,000 a year for some of our brighter researchers to undertake periods of time in industry to further their understanding and their contribution towards medical research. But my warmest words of praise today are of course reserved for the health professionals, for the researchers, for the one hundred and fifty or more very dedicated people, all remarkably talented Australians who are making a contribution to the relief of human suffering and the understanding of the complexities and challenges of diseases.
Of all the things that I think we would our country to be known for, I can't think of anything that is more important that it be known as a centre of excellence and achievement and compassion in medical research. We have the endowments, we have the people, we have the lifestyle, we have the supporting infrastructure and I think we have a commitment from governments and from the private sector right across the board. As I look around this gathering today, I see governments at different levels represented, I see a bi-partisan commitment to the cause of medical research, I see people joining together to try and achieve milestones in relieving human suffering. And all of us in different ways have been the beneficiary of medical science and the skill of our surgeons and the skill of our scientists in the medical area has brought great happiness and great hope to all of us at different stages of our life and I want to take the opportunity on behalf of the Government and through it the people of Australia to thank and salute the medical practitioners and other health professional of this country and our researchers, for the contribution that they make to our ongoing happiness.
To you, Professor Cunningham and to all of your colleagues I wish you well, I hope that this institute fulfills all the hopes you have of it. I know that if the dedication of you and your team is the real measure of its success, well it will be a great Australian achievement and I have great pleasure in declaring it officially open.
Thank you.