Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Why has the government ceased funding the Australian Biosecurity CRC for Emerging Infectious Disease?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. The biosecurity CRC’s application is a matter that was dealt with by an independent committee of the CRC, just as it was under your government. The assessment of the quality of the biosecurity CRC’s application was of course undertaken independently of government, and I am advised that the CRC bid was not of high enough quality to earn another round of funding. I am also advised that a number of key potential partners such as AQIS and Australian Customs were not part of the bid. So I would caution senators against taking simplistic views on this matter. This CRC program is highly competitive, and opposition senators would of course be the first to scream blue murder if it were suggested that the government had intervened in the selection process. However, it is wrong to assume that the biosecurity CRC, as it is currently known, is the only way in which the government addresses critical national biosecurity issues. That position is plain wrong.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scullion interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! This is a serious issue. Senator Carr.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The claims that are being made about that CRC need to be assessed against the reality of where the research is actually undertaken in this country. That goes to AQIS, that goes to Australian Customs and it goes to a range of other bodies, including the CSIRO, which has undertaken research in this area for some time. So any bid for funding under the CRC program needs to be assessed against the reality. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I urge the minister to check the sources in his answer to my question. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that, amongst other critical research including into swine flu, the biosecurity CRC has been researching the deadly Hendra virus, which has now claimed four lives?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time to debate this is post question time. Senator Carr.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition’s claim that no-one else is addressing the issue of research on the Hendra virus other than the CRC for biosecurity is wrong—plain wrong. The issue of the Hendra virus is being pursued by the CSIRO, which is the nation’s premier public research agency. CSIRO conducts most of the Hendra related research in Australia. It does so through the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, which has also attracted competitive grants from other research agencies, including the United States National Institute of Health. This is a facility which is first class and has the highest possible security rating, along with top-level research on high-level infectious disease. The management of emerging infectious diseases such as the Hendra virus is a long-term— (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the government provided a special $15 million grant to the bushfire CRC to keep it operating after it failed to gain further CRC funding, is the government now also considering a special appropriation for the critical biosecurity CRC; and, if not, why not?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator is wrong again on fact—wrong on fact. The $15 million that was given to the bushfire CRC was provided before their application was dealt with by the committee. The CRC committee assesses applications independent of government. The CRC committee assesses them against a range of criteria. If the applications are not good enough in terms of the CRC committee’s assessment, what would you have the government do? The CRC program is intended to provide funding to tackle major challenges for definite periods and with definite outcomes. The advice I have from senior CSIRO staff is that alternative funding models are probably more appropriate to address emerging infectious diseases such as the Hendra virus. It is inappropriate and dead wrong for you to suggest that we should politically intervene in the assessment process. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.