Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Senator Brandis. Is the minister aware of the argument his colleague Senator Abetz put to the Senate yesterday. He said:

I know of no scientist—no person—that believes that weeds are not a direct and present threat to the biodiversity of this country ... There is no dispute about that.

Given those comments, can the minister explain the government’s decision to stop funding the highly successful weeds cooperative research centre? Why did the government shut down the weeds CRC when it had universal industry support and was delivering significant benefits at farm level? Why has the education minister ignored something that her ministerial colleagues described as a direct threat to our biodiversity?