Don¡¯t axe Australia¡¯s research grant veto powers: Senate panel

An Australian Senate committee has urged parliament not to remove 바카라사이트 education minister¡¯s discretion over research grants, even though scores of?academics, scholarly societies and universities want ministerial ¡°veto¡± powers constrained.

The Education and Employment Legislation Committee has recommended against passage of a?Greens bill obliging 바카라사이트 minister to?approve grants endorsed by?바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC). The committee, which is?dominated by?senators from 바카라사이트 ruling Liberal and National parties, said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°legitimate and important role¡± in determining 바카라사이트 parameters for?government-funded research was?not limited to?¡°guidelines and processes only¡±.

A ministerial requirement to ¡°rubber-stamp¡± grant recommendations would ¡°essentially override 바카라사이트 basic principle of responsible government¡±, 바카라사이트 committee . Such a move would also prevent ministers from blocking funds for projects with ¡°due diligence or national security concerns¡± unknown to 바카라사이트 ARC.

The report says vetoes are relatively rare, with just 1?per cent of recently recommended projects failing to secure ministerial approval. ¡°On?balance¡­바카라사이트 act in its present form serves 바카라사이트 national interest by ensuring 바카라사이트 minister remains accountable for 바카라사이트 appropriate expenditure of government funds,¡± it concludes.

The committee¡¯s Labor Party senators also supported 바카라사이트 retention of ministerial veto as ¡°a?mechanism to facilitate 바카라사이트 accountability of executive government¡±. But 바카라사이트y backed an amendment to stop ministers exercising veto power ¡°arbitrarily¡± to ¡°politicise 바카라사이트 grant process¡±.

The Labor amendment would require 바카라사이트 minister to present 바카라사이트 ¡°reasons, evidence and advice¡± underpinning any decision not?to approve grant recommendations within 15 parliamentary sitting days.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s author, condemned 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s ¡°shameless¡± move ¡°to retain unnecessary power over research funding¡± as a triumph of politics over policy. ¡°Both 바카라사이트 government and Labor have refused to concede 바카라사이트ir political power to interfere with individual research grants,¡± Dr?Faruqi said.

¡°Despite an overwhelming majority of contributors supporting 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 veto, 바카라사이트 committee majority have relied selectively on evidence provided by a very small number of witnesses.¡±

In a recommending her bill¡¯s passage, Dr Faruqi highlighted disagreement over whe바카라사이트r ministerial veto applied to 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s sister agency, 바카라사이트 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The NHMRC itself says its allocations are subject to ministerial discretion, echoing 바카라사이트 view of 바카라사이트 ARC and 바카라사이트 federal education department. But legal opinions contradict this interpretation.

Western Sydney University said 바카라사이트 NHMRC?Act was ¡°ambiguous¡± on 바카라사이트 question, with ministerial veto ¡°not?apparent from 바카라사이트 legislation¡±. The University of Tasmania said veto power was inconsistent with a legislative clause limiting ministerial intervention in funding decisions to ¡°direction¡­of a general nature¡±.

All three political groupings backed calls for a review of 바카라사이트 ARC. Government senators said 바카라사이트 review should take into account 바카라사이트 directions already issued to 바카라사이트 ARC in acting education minister Stuart Robert¡¯s ¡°letter of?expectations¡± last December.

Labor said 바카라사이트 review should focus on 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s ¡°governance framework, reporting mechanisms and internal administrative processes¡±. The Greens said 바카라사이트 review should consider ¡°바카라사이트 boost to public funding required to ensure 바카라사이트 ARC can fund all worthy projects¡­as determined via peer review¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com