Innovation Voucher Program

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation and Automotive Transformation a question.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: In answer to a question I asked of the minister on 11 April, the minister indicated that the Frost and Sullivan review had shown a number of the government's grant programs to be successful. I note that, on page 14, that report states:

Only nine out of 32 interviewees were able at this stage to attribute tangible benefits in revenue growth to participation in [manufacturing works], and only eight were able to attribute growth in overall employment.

I ask the minister to update the chamber and advise whether or not there has been an increase in companies attributing tangible benefits in revenue growth and attributing growth in overall employment.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for his question and, for his colleagues in the chamber, that's how you do it. It is a very sensible question on a very specific subject. In terms of the Frost and Sullivan review, I can't remember the exact date that that was undertaken. That was some time ago and I think it was at a reasonably early stage in terms of those business transformation vouchers and the innovation voucher programs that were put in place.

It probably makes sense that some of those companies, pleasingly, already had seen tangible benefits but I don't have the review in front of me and I certainly don't have page 14 of the review in front of me. I think it goes on to say what companies were expecting to occur as a result of those grants that were, at the stage of that initial review, in the very early stage of implementing what they were going to do as a result of those grants from the state government, in large part to help transform their companies, with a particular focus on manufacturing.

I know that we were assessing how our programs go, as you would expect us to do, and if there is a completed assessment, which I do not think there is yet, I will find out where that is up to. As soon as there is, I am very happy to bring the honourable member a reply to his very sensible question.