Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It is quite normal practice in the committee state of a bill, if someone raises an amendment and puts it to the Senate, for them to speak to their own amendments, so I am putting this question very clearly.

Universities around the country, in conjunction with institutions like the CSIRO and with small businesses, benefit enormously from large corporations spending money in the research and development area. So I am asking: what consultation has been done with universities around the country, for a start, as to what impact this will have, firstly, on their research effort and, secondly, on CSIRO?

I think this is critical. We are seeing $1.1 billion taken out of research and development, and I think that the person who is moving for this particular change to the way that this would be determined should answer some questions about the consultation on the impact on the universities, since the government will not. We know that the government wrote the amendment for Senator Wang, but nevertheless it is his amendment, and I would like an answer to the question from either the minister or Senator Wang.