News & Views item - August  2004

 

 

The Promise of an "Overhaul" for CSIRO. (August 24, 2004)

    "A Latham Labor Government will overhaul the CSIRO's strategic direction.
 

"Labor will reinvigorate the board and empower it to ensure effective leadership, build public confidence and re-assert a commitment to serving the public and industry. The board will ensure greater accountability of the whole organisation."

 

So said Senator Kim Carr Labor's shadow minister for  Innovation, Industry, Science & Research in his Monday media release.

 

When Sophie Morris of the Financial Review asked him if the organisation's chief executive, Dr. Geoff Garrett, would be reappointed for a second term  were Labor elected to government (his contract expires next year) Senator Carr replied forcefully, "I'd be seeking advice from the [CSIRO] board."

 

Senator Carr went on to outline areas that require rectifying:

- a movement away from its traditional role of public benefit research and public service;
- Undue reliance on consultants, often without appropriate public sector tendering requirements
- failure to respond to the strategic needs of industry, particularly the manufacturing sector;
- declining staff morale as a result of asset stripping and job losses;
- an undue reliance on a narrowly-based Flagship program. A Labor government will review this program and restore organisation-wide balance to its research profile.
- Asset stripping, particularly at regional research sites.

Senator Carr then concluded that, "A Latham Labor Government will restore the CSIRO to its rightful place of prominence as our leading public research agency, [and a] Latham Labor Government will save the CSIRO from the ravages of 8 long years of the Howard Government. "

 

Unfortunately we are still in the dark as to just how Labor intends to accomplish the reclamation of CSIRO. And it is also unclear just how a Labor government would work with the CSIRO Board who are not used to having any real authority and are hardly top heavy with scientific expertise.

 

The current board members are:

 

Chairman
Ms Catherine Livingstone
Appointed as a member of the CSIRO Board in January 2001 and as the Chairman in November 2001. She is currently on several Boards including Chairman of The Australian Business Foundation, and a director of Macquarie Bank Limited, Telstra Corporation, and The Sydney Institute. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Department of Accounting & Finance Advisory Board at Macquarie University.
Dr Geoff Garrett Appointed Chief Executive of CSIRO in January 2001.
Prof Suzanne Cory  Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and Professor of Medical Biology at the University of Melbourne.
Dr Terry Cutler Principal of Cutler & Company, a consultancy in information and communication technology, as well as a director of Comindico Pty Ltd
Mr Peter Duncan A director of the National Australia Bank, Orica Ltd and GasNet. He is also the Chairman of Scania Australia and a member of the Advisory Board of Siemens Australia.
Dr Jeffrey Harmer Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training. He began his career in the Federal Public Service in early 1978
Mr Brian Keane Former Chief Executive Officer of insurance group AAMI Ltd and is currently the Principal of his own management and insurance consulting firm, Brian Keane and Associates.
Mrs Deborah O'Toole Received her law degree from the University of Queensland and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1981 before starting a career with M.I.M Holdings Ltd.
Prof Alan Robson Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Australia.
Dr Ed Tweddell Chairman of Ansell Ltd and Nepenthe Group Pty Ltd and a director of the National Australia Bank and Australia Post.