Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Minister for Finance, Minister for Government Services) (14:09): I rise to reaffirm the Labor government’s commitment to supporting Victoria’s thriving medical research sector. I am incredibly proud that right here in Victoria we are not only the medical research capital of Australia but also recognised amongst the world’s best. The Allan Labor government takes pride in supporting our health technologies and medical research sector. We have not taken our racquet and ball and gone home. We have invested over a billion dollars into this sector over the past decade to develop Melbourne into a world-class hub for this sector. An important part of supporting the sector means building cutting-edge infrastructure, which is why we are supporting the development of landmark research facilities right across the state. I was delighted to recently visit the future site of the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease after my good friend the Minister for Planning awarded planning approval – a critical step on the path to driving life-saving breakthroughs in treatment and care.

Our global reputation in this field did not happen by accident. It is the result of years of sustained investment guided by the vision and dedication of researchers, scientists and academics, because on this side of the house we trust the science. Trusting the science means you do not accept invitations to misinformation conventions, it means you do not import divisive slogans from overseas and it means you do not cosy up to those who repeatedly challenge expert scientific consensus. Victoria has a proud legacy of medical research, delivering breakthroughs that have improved health outcomes worldwide. Today our world-class institutes and brilliant researchers continue that tradition, discovering, trialling and developing solutions. Victorians know you do not achieve these things if you spend your time bringing the extreme into the mainstream. You do not support scientific breakthroughs if you platform those who peddle disinformation. You cannot deliver new solutions and good public services if you stand with those who create divisions in our communities.