Monash University medical research
John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:46): Southern Metro is very lucky. It is lucky for a number of reasons, but the one I want to talk about today is Monash University. Monash is vital to our region and vital to the country. I would know; my daughter Rachel is graduating from there soon. This university takes brave steps, like the one I had the privilege of seeing the other week: the Monash Smart Manufacturing Hub. Two things we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: we cannot rely on essential vaccines or medicines to be imported, and we need to manufacture products domestically if we hope to have a thriving economy. The $13.8 million expansion of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre will mean that students at Monash will be instrumental in producing the first mRNA vaccines for clinical trial in this country. That is what the Andrews Labor government is about – long-term initiatives that help people in a meaningful way. The Monash Smart Manufacturing Hub affects not only education and the economy but also health, science and the industry. This is what matters here in Southern Metro, and that is why we are doing it.