Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training. I refer to the Productivity Commission’s damning report on the Howard government’s science and innovation policies. Is the minister aware that the report vigorously argues:

… the current real level of public appropriation funding for CSIRO should not be reduced.

Can the minister confirm that the real increase in CSIRO’s costs is at four per cent per annum? Does the minister recall the government’s recent announcement that CSIRO would only receive indexation of two per cent, which effectively imposes a two per cent annual cut for the next four years? Will the government now admit it is delivering a real funding cut to CSIRO and then ensure that CSIRO receives adequate funding for its nationally important research programs? Minister, hasn’t Australia been badly let down by more than a decade of the Howard government’s neglect of innovation?