Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and really do thank him for his interest in DSTO, which I think is one of the most remarkable organisations in government. Unfortunately, it hides its light under a bushel. That is for obvious reasons, in some regards, but I think we can do a lot more to publicise the work that it does.

Let me make it very clear: nothing that we will do in the context of DSTO's budget will affect our support for operations, which is its primary function. In my experience of this organisation over five years, it occupies a unique position in the Defence community but also in the research community across this country. What it is doing now is building a capacity for collaboration which did not exist previously, in the sense that, while it did collaborate with universities and other places, it is now developing a capacity to leverage off research which is being done in outside organisations which it can then use, or leverage off internally, for work which is being directed as a part of the national security space, or in support for operations, or in its future work.

You know the scale of work which DSTO does. It is vital in our support for operations. And, in terms of our support for operations in Afghanistan in particular, it has played a very important role in providing quite timely responses to immediate threats. And these timely responses to immediate threats have been able to be put in place very quickly. Nothing we have done and nothing we would do in the context of the better efficiencies that we want to achieve over the organisation will have any impact on our support for operations, and that is our primary function.

In the context of forecasting what our scientific requirements will be: again, I have no doubt about the depth of the relationships we have through DSTO with our counterparts in other countries, particularly in the 'five eyes' community, and the work which they are doing to support us. And leveraging off research which is being done elsewhere and partnering in research which is being done elsewhere has led to better outcomes. You would know that we now share facilities and research with these. So we are not doing repeat research; we are working collaboratively. These are giving us efficiencies, as they are giving other nations efficiencies—and here I am principally talking about the United States and Great Britain.

It is important that we appreciate the changing scientific environment: the greater collaboration between nations and the greater collaboration locally—not only between universities but now working more broadly with the private sector to appreciate what research capacities are in the private sector and trying to spin off that research for our Defence purposes.

I think we are really very fortunate to have Dr Zelinsky, as you rightly pointed out. His predecessor was a wonderful human being and a very, very good leader. They are different personalities, but they both have done significant work and done this nation a great service.

I have no doubt—because I meet with scientists in DSTO on a regular basis—about their capacity to continue to produce work of the finest quality for us and to guarantee not only support for our operations but also support for our national security, because they are now responsible for research in the national security space. I am in awe of this organisation. I am not a scientist; I do not have a scientific bone in my body. But I understand good research when I see it and I do appreciate the huge brains working on this stuff. I have no doubt that the efficiencies which we will gain through the decisions that have been taken will lead to a very positive outcome for all of us.

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