Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government will support these amendments. I thank Senator Pocock again for his engagement, and I also note the engagement by the Greens in the additional comments to the Senate committee report.

It is important that the minister be able to specify projects as designated research programs to help build Australia's research capability, but it is also important that the power be protected as much as possible from potential misuse in the future. The revised definition proposed by Senator Pocock adds to the existing protections requiring that the relevant program be nationally significant and requiring that the minister of the day be satisfied that the program will help build research capability.