Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Monday, the Leader of the Opposition set out his vision for Australia's science future: announcement after announcement of uncosted, pie-in-the-sky good ideas wrapped up in feel good statements. That is not a plan. That is a shopping list for votes: commitments to creating a $500 million smart investment fund, to boosting existing teacher science skills, to providing 25,000 teaching scholarships over five years to science and technology graduates, and to writing off the HECS debt of 100,000 STEM students.

The Leader of the Opposition's vision to write off the debts of science students, will only write in an even bigger number to our national debt. This is in addition to a promise to reduce the small business tax rate to 25 per cent. These measures sum to over A$40 billion—or the GDP of Jamaica, Zimbabwe and PNG combined. This will lead to universities and others seeking money to redefine science. I can see it now: a Bachelor of Science in English. Regarding science and other people's money, it is time to be responsible not reckless.