SENATOR KIM CARR Labor Senator for

Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

Dear Colleague,

As you know, last month saw the release of a number of government documents relating to research infrastructure. Taken together they make alarming reading. On 5 December, the Government released a Draft 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap – and without fanfare, finally published online the long- overdue Research Infrastructure Review Final Report September 2015 and Higher Education Infrastructure Working Group Final Report 2015. The Roadmap is deeply informed by the latter two expert reports, which make a cogent, considered, and in many respects urgent case for systematic, reliable long-term national public investment in research infrastructure. The Roadmap solicited brief submissions from the sector until next Monday, 16 January.

Yet just two weeks after these documents were released, the Treasurer and the Finance Minister handed down their 2016-17 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which insisted on the Government’s intentions to close the Education Investment Fund – a resource already explicitly purposed for research infrastructure investment, and of precisely the quantum required for the task.

Labor asserts in the strongest terms that the Government would be acting outside its legislative authority to attempt this. They tried to close EIF once before, when setting up the ill-fated Asset Recycling Fund in 2014, but on behalf of Federal Labor I moved an amendment in the Senate that prevented them from doing so. Now they say they are going ahead anyway. Labor argues that they can no more proceed without legislative approval in 2017 than they were able to in 2014.

I am aware of the circulation in the sector of a view that EIF is a lost cause, but I refute that proposition firmly, and am very confident of the well-informed advice I have been given on this matter. The legitimacy of the Government’s intentions is a debate we expect to have in coming weeks when Parliament resumes, and we will prosecute our view to the fullest extent. Labor is resolute in its defence of the Australian research enterprise and the case for public funding in the national interest.

But we need your help.

The attached brief goes through the arguments in detail, including the evidence for the continuing availability of the EIF uncommitted balance for this purpose. I would urge you to read it and renew your view on these matters in light of its contents. I would also ask you to consider making public comment on the importance of research infrastructure, the urgent need for serious reform in how it is funded, and

Tel (03) 9639 2798 Ground Floor 62 Lygon St Fax (03) 9639 3109 Carlton South 3053 most importantly the validity of applying the EIF uncommitted funds to the task. I hope you will be willing to go on the record on this critical matter, for the sake of your constituency, the wider research community and the nation.

If we are to protect ’s future research capability, we must defend the continuing public investment in research infrastructure. If we do not address this as a nation – and address it immediately – Australia’s capacity to contribute to new knowledge, to train the next generation of researchers and to support industry in developing new high-skill, high-wage jobs will be seriously hampered for a generation to come.

The Commonwealth has the means available right now to do the job properly, but the Government has declared its intention to disown its responsibility and divert the resources required. Australians who care about the nation’s research future must do all we can to prevent that from happening. The stands ready to prosecute the argument, but we alone cannot win this battle. Without pressure from the research community, the Government will not apply EIF to the purpose and the outlook for national research infrastructure will be more bleak than ever before.

I would welcome further discussion on this critical issue. You can reach me through my Electorate Office on 03 9639 2798. Alternatively, you can contact my Chief of Staff, Dr John Byron, on 0410 557 157 or my Science Adviser, Chris Anderson, on 0403 056 494.

Sincerely,

Kim Carr

10 January 2017

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