This response to Venturous Australia (the report) is based on the research conducted with Prof Brad Haseman for the forth-coming occasional paper to be published by CHASS (Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences), regarding the place of the arts in Australian innovation policy, from 1994 to 2008. However, the views expressed here are my own and should not be considered in any way to represent the views of QUT and its Creative Industries Faculty where Prof Haseman and I are based. This response holds the perspective that the creative arts and broader humanities (HASS sector) can drive, produce, apply and diffuse innovation, in different but equally useful ways compared to the STEM sector, and, consequently, that the STEM-bias in the status quo of innovation policy should be replaced with a much broader platform embracing both STEM and HASS. Whilst the report appears to share this perspective in its overall vision, it does not adequately follow this through in the substance of its discussion and recommendations. I will explain why I have come to this view, and end by listing what recommendations government should adopt to compliment the good work contained in the report.