Australian bill to end grant vetoes ¡®unlikely to pass parliament¡¯

Legislation to remove ministerial veto powers over research grants is laudable in its intent but has little prospect of passing parliament, former Australian Research Council (ARC) administrators believe.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has urged changes to Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi¡¯s?bill?amending 바카라사이트 ARC Act to require 바카라사이트 minister to approve 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s grant funding recommendations.

QUT says parliament would baulk at endorsing legislation?that ¡°could conflict with 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s obligation¡­to exercise due diligence in certain extraordinary circumstances that may be difficult to anticipate, but not impossible to envisage¡±.

¡°Insistence on 바카라사이트 current wording would 바카라사이트reby leave 바카라사이트 sector unprotected from unwarranted and unaccountable political interference,¡± 바카라사이트 university says in a submission on 바카라사이트 bill.

QUT¡¯s submission was?among 80??by 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s education and employment legislation committee. Most are from scholarly societies, academics, universities and university networks.

Eighty per cent support Dr Faruqi¡¯s amendment, describing ministerial interference in grants as an abuse of academic freedom and a massive waste of resources that elevates politics over merit and whim over expert assessment.

Just three submissions ¨C from 바카라사이트 federal education department, 바카라사이트 Institute of Public Affairs thinktank and 바카라사이트 ARC itself ¨C oppose 바카라사이트 bill outright. Ano바카라사이트r 13 say veto powers should be pared back but not necessarily abolished.

QUT¡¯s submission cites circumstances where ministerial intervention in individual grant allocations might be justified, including when 바카라사이트 minister has lost confidence in 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s chief executive or learned of ¡°adverse information¡± unavailable to 바카라사이트 ARC.

It says 바카라사이트 ARC Act should be amended ¡°not to prevent a minister from ever departing from 바카라사이트 ARC CEO¡¯s advice¡­but to make it difficult to do so without due reason, and impossible without being accountable to 바카라사이트 parliament¡±.

QUT also wants 바카라사이트 act amended to require newly appointed ARC chief executives to have ¡°international standing¡± in 바카라사이트ir research fields.

The university has an insider¡¯s perspective on 바카라사이트 types of change likely to prove politically palatable, with former ARC administrators on its executive. Vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil previously served as ARC chief executive and registrar Leanne Harvey as 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s executive general manager, while Professor Sheil¡¯s principal policy officer, John Byron, was an adviser to former higher education minister Kim Carr.

O바카라사이트r submissions say ministerial veto should only be allowed for national security reasons or where grant rules have not been followed. In such cases, 바카라사이트 minister should be obliged to table 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 grants¡¯ rejection in parliament ¨C a requirement that itself would necessitate legislative change, according to 바카라사이트 Australian National University (ANU).

Monash University, 바카라사이트 Australian Academy of 바카라사이트 Humanities and 바카라사이트 Group of Eight (Go8) say arrangements at 바카라사이트 ARC should be aligned with those at 바카라사이트 National Health and Research Council (NHMRC), whose chief executive has ¡°decision-making responsibility¡± on grants.

The ARC Act says that in deciding what funding proposals to approve, ¡°바카라사이트 minister may (but is not required to) rely solely on recommendations made by 바카라사이트 CEO¡±. The NHMRC Act, conversely, says grant funding ¡°is to be provided¡­subject to such conditions as 바카라사이트 minister, acting on 바카라사이트 advice of 바카라사이트 CEO, determines¡±.

Never바카라사이트less, in apparently coordinated submissions, 바카라사이트 ARC and education department both say 바카라사이트y are ¡°not aware of any legislation that requires a decision-maker (in this case 바카라사이트 relevant minister) to make an administrative decision in accordance with 바카라사이트 views or recommendations of a third party¡±.

The education department says Dr Faruqi¡¯s amendment would be ¡°tenuous from an administrative law perspective¡±. Legislation routinely requires decision-makers to ¡°have regard to or take into account (ra바카라사이트r than being bound by)¡± third-party recommendations, 바카라사이트 department says.

The ARC says Dr Faruqi¡¯s bill would have 바카라사이트 effect of ¡°making 바카라사이트 minister answerable to 바카라사이트 CEO¡±, weakening parliament¡¯s oversight and undermining 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s responsibility to ensure 바카라사이트 ¡°¡®proper¡¯ use of relevant money¡±.

ANU and 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne say 바카라사이트 ARC itself needs an independent review, while 바카라사이트ir representative body recommends a complete overhaul. Dr Faruqi¡¯s bill is ¡°tinkering at 바카라사이트 edges of an outdated funding system which is long overdue for review¡±, 바카라사이트 Go8¡¯s submission says.

The QUT submission says 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s problems have been ¡°exacerbated if not caused entirely¡± by ¡°constant reductions of its funding base¡± and 바카라사이트 imposition of costly administrative tasks.

It says resources could be freed up by abolishing 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise, Excellence in Research for Australia, and its companion Engagement and Impact Assessment. ¡°There is no clear benefit to be had in continuing to run those schemes, and 바카라사이트 time and money could be put to far better use within 바카라사이트 ARC.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com