Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

What extraordinary contributions we have heard from the other side of the chamber defending these job cuts at CSIRO. They're quite extraordinary. The last speaker for the Australian Labor Party referred to the fact that the Morrison government had given so many hundreds of millions of dollars of extra money to CSIRO that they'd actually gone out and hired scientists to do scientific work. Therefore, it's the Morrison government's fault that they're now being made redundant. What an extraordinary argument. Then we had the minister attend this chamber and refuse to provide details with respect to these job cuts, but he did refer to the Abbott government.

Let me give you a quote from the CSIRO Staff Association of the CPSU. This is what they're saying in relation to these job cuts:

This is a very sad day for publicly funded science in this country …

They are now responsible for cuts to public science that exceed the Abbott Government …

These aren't my words; these are the word of the CSIRO Staff Association of the CPSU. They said:

They are now responsible for cuts to public science that exceed the Abbott government …

They said:

These are some of the worst cuts the CSIRO has ever seen.

They said:

We don't need a crystal ball to know these cuts will hurt—they'll hurt families, farmers and our future.

That's what the CSIRO Staff Association of the CPSU are saying. I wonder what former senator Kim Carr would say about this. He railed against the job cuts and the cuts that were introduced by the Abbott coalition government. He railed against them. What must he be thinking to hear the contributions from those opposite? He must be absolutely aghast, as a senator who served in this place and was such a strong advocate for public science.

I want to read to you a quote from Senator Pearce from a speech he gave on 11 June 1926, speaking to the legislation which actually established the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. He talked about the importance of CSIRO, he talked about the importance of science for the public good. I want to read you this quote:

The need for the establishment of a Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has been discussed on many occasions, and the arguments for national research are well known. In all civilized countries it is recognized that from time to time national problems arise, the solution of which can not be left to private enterprise.

This is me having to inform those opposite of the need for public science funding. He goes on:

The problems are of such magnitude and of such general interest and importance that their investigation is appropriately regarded as a matter for governmental action.

That was the case that was made for adequate funding of CSIRO back on 11 June 1926, when legislation was introduced establishing the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. And yet we have those opposite blaming everyone except themselves for these catastrophic job cuts.

I admire the contribution that Senator Whish-Wilson made. Senator Whish-Wilson has been a very strong advocate in relation to public science, and he outlined the important areas of research which need to be funded, including in the environmental space. It is extraordinary. These job cuts are extraordinary. We're looking at 300 to 350 full-time-equivalent positions. It's just extraordinary. And this is coming from those opposite, who railed against lower cuts that were introduced by the Abbott coalition government. And we now have the CPSU, the CSIRO Staff Association, actually calling out a Labor government with respect to the dramatic nature of these cuts. It doesn't really matter in relation to other statutory authorities that are going to be set up. CSIRO, when you read the speeches leading to the establishment of CSIRO, the senators referred to CSIRO as the nation's national laboratory and talked about the importance of public science to support our industries, to deal with biosecurity threats and to deal with the whole range of issues which merit an investment in public science. I say to the government that they need to consider these cuts very seriously.

Question agreed to.