EVAN WALLACE, HOST: Tim Ayres is the Federal Minister for Science and Industry, he also has a keen interest in the future of Liberty Bell Bay, which we'll come to soon. Tim Ayres, good afternoon. 

SENATOR TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE: G'day Evan, terrific to be on the show. What an afternoon to be on with all that guitar stuff. 

WALLACE: Oh, it's so much fun. Hey, before we talk about National Science Week and Bell Bay, do you have a favourite guitarist, a best guitarist of all time? 

AYERS: I never have like one, so let me give you two, and this is just today's pick. So Ed Kuepper, lead guitarist from The Saints ‑‑ 

WALLACE: M'mm, absolutely. 

AYERS: ‑‑ there's nothing like "(I'm) Stranded" at full volume. 

WALLACE: Tough song, great head‑banger.

AYERS: And if I drift back into country, I'm sentimental about the low-down guitar sound of Glen Campbell on "Wichita Lineman”. I think that's one of the 20th century's greatest songs. 

WALLACE: It's a beautiful song and really sort of emulating the town of the telegraph there at the beginning of it, and then just opening up to this beautiful, beautiful vibe. 

It's National Science Week. You've been in our northwest. What have you been up to, Minister? 

AYERS: Well, I've been focused on the economic and industry questions today. I was at Bell Bay this afternoon, and with Anne Urquhart, the new member for Braddon, with an economic roundtable of businesspeople and manufacturers in Devonport this morning. So with Jess Teesdale in Bell Bay, in industry this afternoon, and focused on the big issues for Northern Tasmania this morning. 

There is enormous manufacturing capability and ingenuity in Northern Tasmania, it's one of our proudest industrial regions, and I'm very focused on working with the sector to deliver good jobs and investment for the years ahead. 

WALLACE: I do want to come to Bell Bay, but let's just talk about research and development for a moment, because the future of Australia's manufacturing industry really hinges on having strong research and development, and what we know according to the Australian Academy of Science, we spend vastly less on R&D compared to other wealthy countries, just over 1.5 per cent of GDP in Australia. That's compared to about 3 per cent in the UK. What plans does the Albanese Government have to turn that around? 

AYERS: In the last term of government, the Albanese Government commissioned a strategic examination of research and development that is led by Robyn Denholm and Ian Chubb, and a series of other notable Australian researchers and businesspeople to really focus on that gap that you've described. 

It's not just that our research and development expenditure is lower; our capacity to engage through to commercialisation and deliver new industrial products and new firms and new start-ups, is not as strong as it should be. 

Our research and development system also isn't just the public sector, our universities, the CSIRO, our other public institutions. That measure also includes declining levels of investment from private industry in research and development, so we want to super charge that level of industrial research in particular, but also make sure through our National Reconstruction Fund and other industry policy measures that we're delivering the outcomes of that science in new jobs and new factories in regional Australia. 

WALLACE: I can imagine this is something where it takes many years to see those results. 

AYERS: Well, yes, it does, but we shouldn't talk Australia down here. You know, I want to see a lift in performance, but we have great scientists and great engineers, and some of our public and private sector research and development capacity is the best in the world. You know, Australia invented Wi-Fi, we invented the cochlear implant, we've invented extraordinary products. Our research and development is top-shelf, but we need to strengthen it for the next few decades. 

We're entering a world of more geopolitical competition, climate challenges, the challenges around energy and industrial use of electricity, new industrial processes. To chart our way through that tougher environment, we're going to need great scientists collaborating with industry and working with each other, and that means we need kids at school, girls and boys at school, to be grabbing hold of science courses and getting into science careers. It's a great career, full of purpose, ambition and optimism, and you know, I want to make sure we bottle that and make sure we deliver it for future generations. 

WALLACE: A good plug during National Science Week. You're listening to ABC Northern Tasmania Drive, I'm speaking with Federal Industry and Science Minister, Tim Ayres. You said that you were at Bell Bay earlier today. 

We understand that workers are back at the smelter. GFG Alliance's ore order hasn't been finalised. How concerned are you about the situation there, Tim Ayres? 

AYERS: Well, I met with workers and unions off site today because, I'm in the area. I know that they are deeply concerned and uncertain about the future, and it is, I think, it does create great uncertainty for them and the community. 

I really wanted to hear directly from them, but also say to them, they have returned to work in very challenging circumstances with great uncertainty. You could only imagine the conversations that they're having at home with their families and in the community about their jobs and I wanted to say on behalf of the Federal Government, thank you to them, they are the real heroes of what has been happening there. 

I'm very focused, of course, as Industry Minister, on the future of this facility. It is an absolutely sustainable, competitive facility. It's one of the best manganese smelters in the world; it sells into very strong markets. What it needs is its owner to step up and capitalise the facility properly and be a responsible owner, and make sure that very profitable business is equipped and capitalised for the future, giving those workers the security that they deserve. 

WALLACE: So that sounds as though that was the finding of the Rapid Assessment Team which was implemented when it went into a period of limited operations. So the question is, before Mark Knopfler comes and cuts us off, does GFG Alliance, does it have enough operating capital? 

AYERS: Well, I'll leave commentary about the confidential reports alone. I think we can take it from what I'm saying that the responsibility lies squarely with the parent owner of GFG. 

I'm very pleased with the cooperation and close work that we've been doing at the Commonwealth level with the Tasmanian Government. We are deeply concerned about the future of this facility, but it is a highly competitive industrial facility run by Tasmanians who really know what they're doing. 

WALLACE: Tim Ayres, appreciate your time today. Will you enjoy a bit of Mark Knopfler and "Going Home", the theme of the local hero? 

AYERS: I sure will, it's a great song. 

WALLACE: Thanks for your time today.