Broadmeadows electorate
Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (14:39): (6253) My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy. What opportunities do the Victorian government’s landmark investments in medical research and manufacturing as well as the Breakthrough Victoria Fund offer for CSL Behring’s manufacturing site in Broadmeadows? This is critical from a national perspective for independent supply chains and national sovereignty, as proven by vaccines in the time of a pandemic. We have also got the opportunity to extend, through vaccines nearby for influenza, and then we also need to look at what this means for vaccine diplomacy internationally as well as a lucrative export industry. This is a course that I first started to pursue way back in 2016 with Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope, and it is now the time when we can leverage this. Victoria has even won the mRNA manufacturing deal for Australia. So how do we get the value out of it, how do we get the return to the community and how do we build stronger national sovereignty?