Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The national interest test proposed by Minister Tehan is straight out of Yes Minister. The farcical proposal is a Liberal tactic of inventing a problem and then trying to solve it. Academics and researchers see right through it. The test's whole purpose is to allow ministers to further interfere in the already independent, rigorous, peer reviewed process for narrow political reasons. The Australian Research Council already requires researchers to demonstrate the benefits and impacts of their research. If the minister had spent five minutes talking to the research community, he would know that. Narrow political agendas should not be allowed to determine long-term research priorities. We shouldn't allow political interference in the Australian Research Council grants, no matter who is in government.