MEDIA RELEASE: THE GOVERNMENT WALKS AWAY FROM SCIENCE…AGAIN.

TONY BURKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR WATSON
 
SENATOR KIM CARR
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INNOVATION, INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA 
 

THE GOVERNMENT WALKS AWAY FROM SCIENCE…AGAIN.
 

The Morrison Government has again has ignored some of the best science in the world, by choosing to dismiss the Australian Academy of Science report on the mass fish kills.
 
It is alarming that the Commonwealth Government does not value science.
 
The fish kills in Menindee are an ecological disaster. Labor, by acting to commission independent advice, forced the government to commission its own investigation.
 
The Australian Academy of Science provided their report to Labor yesterday. A report they did free of change and under tight timeframes.
 
Soon after the report was released the Minister attacked the scientists. This attack is despite the fact that the Chair of the Minister’s own review team, Professor Rob Vertessy, is listed as an expert reviewer of the Academy’s report. And despite government agencies providing data and information to the Academy of Science.
 
This attack on Australian scientists is alarming.
 
This war on science has been a consistent feature of the Abbott, Turnbull and now Morrison Coalition governments. Governments that seem to fear rather than welcome independent, fact based advice.
 
Only Labor will end the Liberals’ war on science, restore trust in scientists and put science back at the centre of government, by resetting the relationship between government and Australia’s science and research community. 
 
Labor will develop a charter with the Australian science and research community to establish the reciprocal roles, responsibilities and expectations of government and researchers.  As part of this charter Labor will:

  • affirm  our fundamental respect for academic freedom;

  • review and strengthen the National Science and Research priorities; and

  • establish a Prime Ministers Science and Innovation Council, responsible for identifying our national priorities in science and research.

A Shorten Labor Government will also establish, for the first time in 20 years, a once in a generation, root-and-branch inquiry into strengthening our research capabilities across the whole of government. 

Unlike the Liberals, Labor values independent science based advice from the Learned Academies.


TUESDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2019

Tony Burke