Macfarlane criticises Labor science policies

The Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, has claimed that that the former Labor government’s science policies “made no provision for the ongoing costs of science and research”, according to Senate estimates.

The Minister claimed the party “racked up a series of piecemeal announcements and set budget booby-traps” instead of making sustainable, long-term investments in science and research.

He referred to the CSIRO marine research vessel the RV Investigator, “which was purchased under Labor without a single cent allocated to get it out on the water for scientific research and not a single cent for maintenance and ongoing operations”.

“The Australian Government’s strategic and sustainable investment in science will make sure this vessel gets out on the water with scientists on board to do their job, instead of being tied up at dock,” Macfarlane said. The government has announced $65 million in funding for the vessel, which will allow for 180 operational days each year.

Other notable investments include:

• $31 million of funding to enable the full exploitation of the capacity of Australia’s OPAL reactor.
• $28 million for Science for Australia’s Future to continue to support the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, National Science Week and Questacon educational campaigns.
• $10 million to extend the Australia-China Science and Research Fund, which delivers support for international collaborations.

“Our Budget identified more than $161 million in key science projects that will secure the ongoing operation of vital assets and promote the benefits of science across the community,” Macfarlane said.

Senator Kim Carr, the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Industry, last month made his own claims about the science policies of the Coalition. He says that nearly 1000 jobs in science and research are in jeopardy as a result of the Budget, including:

• 500 jobs at CSIRO
• 64 jobs at ANSTO
• 96 jobs at Geoscience Australia
• 58 jobs at the Bureau of Meteorology
• 150 jobs at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Carr said the cuts to jobs and funding have long-term implications for both basic research and applied research.