Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

The fact is that scientists have a valuable and important role to play in our society, and that is accepted and understood in all sections of the Australian community. But here we have someone who is the government whip in the parliament of New South Wales making the most grave associations that can be imagined about our science community. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: if you are the leader of the Liberal coalition in this country, you should call on both the Premier of New South Wales and this member to repudiate those comments. Those opposite might make light about these assertions, but we know that the extremism of the Liberal Party is coming to the centre, and as it comes to the centre it will infect the body politic. We will be committed to supporting scientists and recognising the valuable role that they play, and it is time that the Leader of the Opposition got on board.

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