Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

As the honourable senator knows, I am sure, the funding of CRCs in fact falls within the province and portfolio responsibilities of my colleague the Minister for Education, Science and Training. I have made representations to her and, as I said, I met with Dr McFadyen this morning. In fact, just two evenings ago I had dinner with the National Weeds Advisory Group and discussed, amongst other things, these very issues. So we are on top of it; we have been for a long time. Something that we do not do is play cynical politics with these sorts of issues; we just get on with the job. I think one of the reasons why the Howard government has been returned is that people accept that we work on these issues with a genuine interest for the Australian people.