Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:42): Supplementary: the minister mentioned specifically the attraction of MIT. I am just wondering, in addition to attracting MIT, which in itself is a great thing, if it will cause our postgraduate market to in any way be diverted to that American university, and what steps has he put in place to make sure that doesn't happen?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:42): I am delighted that the honourable member has asked me for some more details on MIT. MIT is coming to open up one of its Living Labs in South Australia. It is not as if we are going to have students from South Australia going to the US, although I expect there will be some opportunities for exchange and sharing of knowledge and ideas.

This is a fabulous partnership between MIT, the South Australian government, BankSA and Optus. I can inform the chamber that this is something that happened in March 2017. I flew to Washington as an opposition member and met with MIT and did a deal. I built a relationship, as we talked about a few weeks ago; I built a relationship with MIT. I built a relationship with them and they then came.

I didn't want to get it tangled up in an election campaign, so it wasn't an election commitment. I built the relationship, and today Professor Sandy Pentland came here to Adelaide to celebrate the opening and the launch of MIT's Living Lab. They have them in New York, Beijing and now Adelaide. It is a wonderful coup—the world's number one university.

When I met with that representative in Washington, he said, 'You're not an academic. Why would we want to do this? Why are you here?' I said, 'That's because I love my state. I know that we can do a lot better, and if we can attract people like you and your organisation here, both you and South Australia will benefit.' Bringing MIT to Adelaide is, I suspect, the only thing I did in 16 years of opposition that will have a long-lasting effect and impact.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The members laugh, Mr President. They get sidetracked, interjecting, cracking jokes, tearing up paper, speeding around. We all love that, but out there in bogan land nobody notices. This will be the one thing I can say that I did in my 16 years in opposition that will have a lasting benefit for the people of South Australia. All the stuff you do in here—the giggles and the laughs—make no difference to the people of South Australia.

The PRESIDENT: Alright, the Hon. Mr Ridgway, we are off track now. The Hon. Mr Hanson.