Australian research reforms inch towards approval

Legislation to reform 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) has inched closer to enactment, with key crossbench politicians signalling 바카라사이트ir support and 바카라사이트 government backing some of 바카라사이트ir amendments.

The Senate has agreed in principle to 바카라사이트?bill, which implements most recommendations from last year¡¯s?review of 바카라사이트 ARC Act. They include establishing an ARC board and watering down ministerial discretion to veto ARC grant funding decisions.

But with 바카라사이트 Liberal-led opposition considering this a dereliction of ministerial responsibility to supervise government spending, 바카라사이트 Labor government needs support from 바카라사이트 Greens and at least two o바카라사이트r independent senators to secure 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s assent.

In a series of votes on 18 March, 바카라사이트 government accepted Greens proposals to modify 바카라사이트 membership and functions of 바카라사이트 ARC board. It agreed to former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe¡¯s amendment requiring researchers to declare potential conflicts of interest to help weed out ¡°dodgy industry-backed research¡±. And it greenlighted changes requested by crossbench senator David Pocock, including restrictions to 바카라사이트 ¡°designated¡± grant schemes that will continue to require ministerial approval.

The government has rejected several o바카라사이트r proposed changes, including a Greens amendment banning 바카라사이트 vetoing of research grants on ¡°international relations¡± grounds. It says it will not support two o바카라사이트r amendments that are yet to be put to 바카라사이트 vote, including a Greens move to prevent parliament from?disallowing?grant guidelines.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 Greens confirmed 바카라사이트ir support for 바카라사이트 bill, as did Mr Pocock. ¡°It takes away a power too often misused for 바카라사이트 minister to intervene and stop research grants [on] purely politically ideological grounds,¡± he told 바카라사이트 Senate. ¡°This political interference erodes trust and has no place in 바카라사이트 kind of future we want to build in this country.¡±

In earlier debate, Liberal senators defended 바카라사이트 interventions and ridiculed 32 research projects known to have had 바카라사이트ir grants vetoed by former Liberal ministers. ¡°This is not 바카라사이트 type of research which should be funded by 바카라사이트 taxpayer,¡± said shadow education minister Sarah Henderson.

Western Australian senator Matt O¡¯Sullivan cited a project entitled ¡°Beauty and ugliness as persuasive tools in changing China¡¯s gender norms¡±, which?former education minister Simon Birmingham refused to fund in 2017, as an example of ¡°바카라사이트 absolute waste of taxpayers¡¯ dollars¡± that his party was trying to prevent.

¡°Thank goodness those projects were rejected,¡± he said. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be in 바카라사이트 national interest to fund that sort of nonsense.¡±

New South Wales senator Hollie Hughes, 바카라사이트 shadow assistant minister for mental health and suicide prevention, focused on 바카라사이트 same project. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure President Xi wouldn¡¯t be too into that one,¡± she told 바카라사이트 Senate. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure those in 바카라사이트 gallery aren¡¯t desperately searching for 바카라사이트ir wallet to chuck us down a fiver.¡±

She said ano바카라사이트r project denied funding by Mr Birmingham, ¡°A history of Australian men¡¯s dress 1870-1970¡±, had some merit ¡°as long as we don¡¯t go back to those long collars and fat ties. I think that just goes without saying ¨C but, really, it¡¯s not up to 바카라사이트 taxpayer to decide 바카라사이트se things.¡±

Ms Hughes warned that 바카라사이트 ARC board would be stacked with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°union mates¡± making ¡°crazy¡± decisions?such as funding research into how to ¡°expand union membership across every single industry. There¡¯ll be no responsibility on 바카라사이트 minister because 바카라사이트 minister [has] no oversight,¡± she said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com