What's happening to the 'much loved' CSIRO?

Independent senator David Pocock questions Labor senator Tim Ayres over funding to the CSIRO, after the agency announced plans to cut jobs.

Transcript

00:00Minister, can I ask you what's going on here? We've seen the last couple of budgets be the

00:10lowest investment in research and development on record and now we're hearing from the CSIRO,

00:18the much loved and respected CSIRO, that they are cutting dozens of researchers at a time

00:27when I argue we could be facing more challenges as a country. Just a couple of observations about,

00:34I'm advised... I prefer to have a sort of response to that rather than an observation. I'm advised

00:39that the minister has met, obviously has been advised by the CSIRO of the process that they're

00:46undertaking, the structural changes that they are proposing to go through. The minister has met with

00:51the CSIRO staff association which is part of the CPSU and heard them of course on these questions.

01:00The statement of expectations that the minister has issued to the CSIRO

01:08makes it very clear that all of the steps that you would expect to be undertaken to ensure staff are

01:16appropriately informed and consulted should be undertaken by the CSIRO. They are independent

01:24of government. These are decisions that they have to make in line with the government's statement

01:31of expectations which of course goes to making sure that they discharge their obligations in

01:37terms of the government's national science priorities. I'm sorry, it sounds like Dr Hilton

01:44is well underway in terms of consultation. My question is around research and development

01:48capability and this is clearly a funding issue. At a time where we're at a record low research

02:00and development as a percentage of GDP, now we're not funding the CSIRO enough. I mean ag and food,

02:09like climate change is going to totally reshape our food system and yet we're hearing that we're

02:15losing researchers there. Manufacturing, again like I hear about manufacturing all the time and

02:22it's critical. Why are we not scaling up the CSIRO? Well in fact, just to correct you on one point,

02:29government contributions to research and development has stayed relatively static

02:34in Australia. What you're referring to in terms of that figure is the putting together of

02:44Commonwealth and state which has stayed relatively static. Private sector investment as manufacturing

02:51declined over the course of the last 10 years, for example, has declined steadily in Australia. That

02:56is a significant challenge. It requires public and private investment in research and development

03:02capability. I look forward to learning more about the CSIRO's plans in this area. I would be very

03:08surprised if I was to find out that investment in the kind of areas that you're talking about

03:16in agriculture and food in terms of the future focused issues was declining at the CSIRO.

03:23I've heard Mr Hilton's evidence about the process that they're undergoing and I understand the

03:30minister is engaged to the extent that it is appropriate for a minister to engage with an

03:36independent statutory authority like the CSIRO.