Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens understand the motivation behind the amendment from Senator Lazarus but I will indicate that we will not be supporting this amendment. We appreciate that safety checks for a significant amount of money, $400 million between now and 2019, is good practice. But we are comforted by the additions made during the consideration of this bill to include Professor Kelso, the CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council, and her peers on the advisory board. We are satisfied that that will ensure good practice and governance from the existing NHMRC to inform the way that that MRFF goes about its business.

There is no precedent for signing off on government enterprise appointments by parliament in this way. The skills mix required by the legislation would largely preclude the sort of irresponsible and ideological appointments that would make this amendment necessary in our view. We are also concerned that it would delay the process of appointment and, indeed, it may well deter worthy candidates if they are of the view—not being political people—that they may then be unjustly, in a very elaborate process, overly scrutinised and become politicised. A scientist being approved by one or both sides houses of parliament might well be intimidating to very worthy and meritorious appointees.

The other question, I suppose, is: to what extent is the parliament well placed to vet the appointments? How would the process work? Indeed that risks politicising the appointments even more. We have actually looked at other government enterprises, and there are many of them, but there are no examples of where board members are signed off by one or both houses of parliament.

The guidelines on board composition also address concerns about stacking the board. The bill, as amended, provides for an advisory board of up to eight members including the CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council as I already indicated. Collectively the membership of the advisory board must possess an appropriate balance of experience or knowledge in the fields of medical research, policy relating to health systems, management of health services, medical innovation, financing and investment, and commercialisation of research and innovation. So although the Australian Greens have taken seriously this amendment that is being proposed by Senator Lazarus, the Australian Greens will not be supporting the amendment today.