It is with pleasure that I introduce a new award in honour of my friend and former boss, the late Honourable Simon Crean.

Mr Crean was an Australian pioneer and nation builder. He was elected to the Commonwealth Parliament in 1990 in the Division of Hotham. He served as Opposition Leader between 2001 and 2003 and was a minister in four Labor governments in various portfolios, including education, science and the arts.

As Minister for the Arts in 2013, Mr Crean released Australia’s cultural policy, Creative Australia. The policy elevated the link between creativity and innovation.

Upon the launch of the policy, Mr Crean said: “…a creative economy is also a more productive economy. In this day and age it is not enough simply to embrace technology unless we are consistently, creatively adding to it. Seeing the artist at the centre of a creative society and seeing a creative society central to our future as a nation is why this investment needs to be made.”

The Simon Crean Arts and Innovation Award is presented to students who:

· are in Year 10 at a school in the Bentleigh electorate; and

· stand out at their school for their work in the creative or performing arts; and

· demonstrate a strong link between creativity and innovation, including problem solving; and

· are engaged across multiple STEAM disciplines.

Successful students will be nominated by their teachers and will be presented with a trophy at a school assembly.

The Simon Crean Arts and Innovation Award was established in consultation with Mrs Carole Crean and celebrates students’ achievements at school as well as the legacy of a great Australian.