George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

With all due respect to Senator Carr, I think one of us is engaging in rhetoric and the other is referring to the report. It is not the case, as Senator Carr asserts, because Senator Carr, I am sorry to say, has not made himself familiar with the report. Might I also, Mr President, remind Senator Carr that one of the findings of the report in relation to the CSIRO is that research funding for the CSIRO has increased in real terms by 11 per cent since the Australian Labor Party was last in power. But that is to be put in the context, as I said before and as the authors of the report are at pains to point out, that one must not make the methodological error of looking at one sector of R&D funding in isolation from the total support for the sector. Senator Carr, it is obvious to me you are not familiar with the report. I doubt you possess a copy, so come and see me after question time and I will make you a gift of my own.