Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Hansard source

Member for Wakefield, we know that no science lies behind homeopathy. The NHMRC has looked at this and has said there should be no government support for this alleged health practice. We can just imagine if a well-organised group got behind a member in a particular seat and put a proposition to a minister about the sorts of pressures that could be brought to bear on a minister to fund perhaps research, to gainsay the claims that are being made about homeopathy. Everything from fluoride research to people like the current Treasurer, who quivers every time he drives past Lake George and sees windmills on the horizon. Are these the sorts of projects that the fund is going to fund? Some might say I am using extreme or alarmist examples but I use this as a mechanism to point out the second fatal flaw at the heart of this bill. It is not putting in place an arm's-length process which enables research funds to be distributed on the basis of their scientific merit as approved and assessed by scientific piers. Yes the national interest should always be brought to bear but it should exist at arm's length from government.

The member for Ballarat has moved some important amendments to the bill before the House today. I support them. I know in his contribution the member for Wakefield will be supporting them and indeed all Labor members of the House will be supporting the propositions. We do so saying yes, of course, we support the excellent research being done by our national health and scientific institutions such as the Garvan Institute, which I visited recently, which is doing world-leading research in gene mapping and the therapies and science that can be brought to bear in that area. I have mentioned only one or two. There are numerous world-class research institutes. They deserve— (Time expired)

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