Professor Tony Haymet delivered remarks at the 25th anniversary dinner for Science Meets Parliament on 12 February. He is pictured here with Governor-General Sam Mostyn.  

Thank you to the Governor-General, Minister, and Senator Chandler. A big thank you to Dr Cathy Foley, my predecessor as Chief Scientist. Thank you for the welcome to the country Ngunnawal people.

I would also like to acknowledge former Shadow Minister Paul Fletcher and his talk on 17 October 2024 – one of three great talks that day in Melbourne.

Congratulations on the announcement of the new Prime Minister's Science Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems. Nominations are due on 18 March. I'm pleased you and I will have more to say and do on this.

And thank you to the science and research community for your warm welcome.

I said when my appointment was announced – and several times since – that my focus would be on data, measurements and facts. 

Good data is the best place to start any discussion – and it’s what good science is all about. But, of course, someone pointed out to me on social media that science is more than a body of knowledge. They were quite correct. One has to do something good for society and the country with the data. And we will. And, mind you, this was by far the nicest social media I’ve got.

Science is more than a body of knowledge. It’s a way of thinking. Challenging assumptions. Testing claims. Using the data to answer important questions – or questions that may eventually prove important. Science is how we – you and me – have come to approach the world.

It’s too early to talk about my plan of work – and this is not the place. Some general areas that I’ll be doing work on:

• Australia’s research infrastructure.
• Building resilience to misinformation and disinformation – continuing work that the National Science and Technology Council has been doing. 
• Artificial intelligence, in which, as I’ve claimed, Australia has a great export opportunity, provided we can make enough energy, and quickly.
• Innovation in Australian agriculture, a real strength for us here in Australia for a long time, and a necessity for our ambition to drive down emissions.

That’s where I’m starting but I have detailed discussions coming up with the Minister.

Science meets Parliament. It is a funny phrase, isn’t it? Like two titanic forces meeting head on. That don’t always see eye-to-eye. Here’s my way of thinking about it. A couple of years ago, I was walking down a street in Surfers Paradise, Clifford Street, if you must know. It wasn't during Schoolies. I was daydreaming, as is our professorial want, but even I noticed the street signs were suddenly in Portuguese. And all the number plates on the cars are Brazilian number plates. What is going on? They are filming the sequel to Godzilla versus King Kong

One of those two, I think Godzilla, is emerging from my beloved ocean onto the beach, but it's not Surfers, it's Copacabana. I think the finished movie is called, “Godzilla versus King Kong: The New Empire”. So that is Science meets Parliament. Two great forces – movie spoiler alert - they ultimately team up to defeat the forces of evil, and make peace and prosperity for all.

I leave it to you figure out who is Godzilla and who is King Kong.

Thanks again for the warm welcome, and I look forward to working closely with you.