Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, and that is Senator Ronaldson. Minister, with 200 of the nation's top scientists gathered in Canberra today for Science meets Parliament, I ask: after six months in office, why does this government still not have a science policy or a science minister?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for his question. I think it is the first time he has asked me a question since the middle of December—and the colleague sitting beside him, Senator Farrell, has not asked me one since the middle of November, which rather begs the question as well. This government is committed to CSIRO. This government, through Senate estimates, has watched Senator Carr try and try to raise a whole range of issues. He started off with job losses. He has now given up on that, clearly. He then started talking about the head of CSIRO. He has obviously given up on that. He has not asked about that today. Instead, we get a lame question in relation to where we are heading with this.

I can assure Senator Carr of this: when we put policies together we keep them. When we make promises, we keep them. When I look back and reflect on what Senator Carr—the doomsayer who was caught out in The Australian about a week ago; it showed Senator Carr for what he is—has said over the last six months, he just wants to talk down the Australian economy. He wants to talk down Australian jobs. If this is the best Senator Carr can do, I hope that—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was quite specific about a ministry and a policy, and we are waiting for an answer to that specific question.

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

There is no point of order. The minister has indicated that he has completed his answer.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That really was pathetic, even for this minister.

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

No comments, please.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. What cuts to science programs are recommended in the secret Commission of Audit report which has been sitting on the Prime Minister's desk for over a month? Will the minister now commit to ruling out cuts to science programs in the future?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister very much for his question. I look at him and Senator Farrell—who has not asked me a question now for about three months—sitting beside him. They remind me of Foghorn Leghorn and Henery Hawk over there. They cannot stand each other. They are having a nibble and one has the axe out—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order going to relevance, in terms of answering the specific question rather than the comic routine we have just heard.

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

I do remind the minister of the question. The minister has 42 seconds remaining to address the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government, as I have said before, is committed to a world-class education research sector as one of the five pillars required for a productive and prosperous Australia. The contribution of scientists and researchers is essential as we work to lift productivity and build on our competitive advantage in key sectors. That is why the government will support science to the fullest extent possible. There are now six election commitments on science being implemented across government. My colleague, Minister Macfarlane, is working closely with the Minister for Education, the Chief Scientist and other ministers to ensure Australian scientists— (Time expired)

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I note that the minister has failed to rule out cuts to science programs. I asked him specifically about the Commission of Audit and he has not addressed that. I would ask him this: why will this government not back the people who are in fact building Australia's future?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure Senator Carr that we are backing them. And I can assure Senator Carr that when we tell them we are going to do something, that is what we will do. When we say we are going to do something, we will actually deliver it.

I look back at Senator Carr's record: he was in, he was out, he was in and he was out as the industry minister. His legacy is one of extraordinary failure. We are great supporters of the science community and the science community knows that it has a friend in the coalition. It knows what occurred under the Labor Party. For someone opposite to be talking about funding arrangements, when Senator Carr and those opposite took this nation from $40,000 million in the black to $653 billion in the red, I think is a bit rich; I think it is a bit rich for Senator Carr to be making any comments about any funding matters at all.