David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I follow you on that, but I am not talking about the export of controlled goods. This is a global exemption that gives comfort to those carrying out fundamental research, basic and applied, in science and engineering, not with respect to goods. Clearly, if you are doing research with controlled goods, putting the words 'controlled goods' takes it to another dimension. This dimension that we are looking at is where the goods may or may not have a dual use. But what we are saying is that it is fundamental and applied research in science and engineering where the resulting information is ordinarily published. So we are taking a step back from the controlled goods. I do not have any issue with controlled goods. Let's control those 100 per cent—get the permits; do all the things we need to do. But, when we are doing, for example, a vaccine for uterine cancer, I really do not think that the fundamental research underlying that requires a permit—and I do not think it does in the United States. But the way this legislation stands now, the way it as is broad as it is, with the really narrow exemptions in the DSGL, I think we are locking ourselves into getting permits for that sort of research.