Chief Scientist Ignored and Shunned

23-February-2011

In Senate Estimates today, Chief Scientist Penny Sackett confirmed that she has never met with or been asked to meet with Prime Minister Gillard.

We now know it was the fake Julia when she claimed an interest in science. Instead she has an arrogant disregard for the Office of the Chief Scientist.

The Chief Scientist also confirmed that she was not invited by Prime Minister Rudd to be part of Australia’s delegation to Copenhagen. With over 100 people forming Australia’s delegation, it beggars belief that room could not be found for our Chief Scientist.

Compounding the insult, the Chief Scientist was not even invited to be involved in the process of setting the targets we negotiated for at Copenhagen.

In another swipe at the Gillard Government, Professor Sackett claimed today that the Government does not know what it wants from the Office of Chief Scientist and they should define more carefully what they want from the position.

“The role could be improved but again because it is a role that is appointed by government, I think that first and foremost the decision has to be made by Government to set the boundaries of what it would like to achieve from the role; having done that it is possible to then seek a variety of opinions on how the role could be improved,” said Professor Sackett.

“But I think the responsibility rests firmly with the Government to decide how the role of Chief Scientist for Australia could fit into the variety of advice it receives on matters of science,” she added.

“The Government set this office up, with its 16 staff at a cost of $2.3 million per year and yet they don’t have any idea what to do with it. What is more we now know they largely ignore it,” said Shadow Minister Sophie Mirabella.

“I’m not surprised the Chief Scientist has resigned, it must be a very difficult path to tread, trying to be effective while being ignored. The Gillard Government has no agenda for science in this country, so their disgraceful treatment of the Chief Scientist is no surprise,” said Mrs Mirabella.