Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Just very briefly: we certainly acknowledge the concerns expressed by Senator McLucas. We understand that the issue of the independence of the fund is paramount and we have in our negotiations—both through the Senate committee process and subsequently—sought to ensure that the appointment process was an independent process. We have been given some comfort in the fact that the NHMRC CEO is represented on the advisory panel.

We also believe that the nature of the panel is such that, when it comes to selecting pre-eminent medical researchers from organisations across the nation, the professional reputation of those individuals is in itself something that will guarantee a degree of independence. Of course, within that, there needs to be some flexibility for the government of the day to be able to, if necessary, in urgent situations direct the fund's research priorities. Obviously, one of the things where that may be an issue is in the case of something like an infectious diseases outbreak where having the capacity to be able to direct research efforts quickly in a particular direction is important.

While we acknowledge the concerns from Senator McLucas, and I think they are valid concerns, the measures that have been put in place through the amendments developed with the government will satisfy us that decisions will be made independently and in the best interests of what the fund is intended to do—that is effectively administer public funds to medical research priorities in a way that is different from the NHMRC—a very different focus; the NHMRC does much foundational research. However, the big gap that exists is within the translational pathway, and that is one of the reasons that this fund has been established.

The Greens are and always have been very, very strong supporters of medical research. We were disappointed that the genesis of this fund appeared to be a very unpopular budget measure: the establishment of the Medicare co-payment. But, what has been salvaged from that mess is, I think, a fund that will ensure that the huge gap that exists in the translational pathway when it comes to the medical research pipeline is addressed. It is for those reasons that we will support this legislation.