CSIRO Gives Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister the Finger. (December 28, 2007)

Over the years that he was shadow science spokesman Labor Senator Kim Carr took every opportunity to forcefully hold CSIRO's executive to account, and Labor, when in opposition, was vehement in its condemnation of the Howard Coalition government's pressuring CSIRO to censor its staff as regarded governmental policy as well as damning the redirection of CSIRO away from research for the public good.

According to The Canberra Times' Rosslyn Beeby, the new department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) with Senator Carr as its minister wasn't three weeks in existence when one of its staff, made "a brief telephone call to CSIRO's communications department claiming clearance was necessary to ensure media statements reflected the Government's 'key messages' and organisations were 'in step' with Government policies".

According to Ms Beeby: "The request was also made to the Australian Research Council, more than 50 Cooperative Research Centres, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian Institute of Marine Science in Townsville, Invest Australia and Questacon science museum."

Not being part of Senator Carr's portfolio, the National Health and Medical Research Council was left off the list.

How this colossal stupidity got past Senator Carr, who has the reputation of being a shrewd political operator, suggests he's not in full control of his portfolio.

In any case Ms Beeby's article has been reprinted in two dozen papers affiliated with The Canberra Times, and gives strong indication that CSIRO's executive has taken delight in DIISR's inane directive.

The CSIRO executive apparently requested the directive be put in writing.

The request was met with:

...written advice that the Prime Minister's office had instructed "all strategic media releases which relate to the Government's key messages" be forwarded to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, which would submit them to Senator Carr's office for approval. If needed, he would send the statements to the Prime Minister's office, and the department would contact the CSIRO "regarding required changes".
    The directive says media statements "of a more pedestrian nature" need not be vetted but anything to do with climate change, industrial relations policy, education and science reform, tax policy, national security and health must be submitted.

What followed makes the fledgling Rudd government look silly. It has now decided that most CSIRO statements, including those on climate change, are likely "to be pedestrian", i.e. vetting not requid.

And to get their point across Ms Beeby reports: "Scientists told The Canberra Times they would make public 'any substantial changes' requested by the Government to media statements or scientific reports.

Will Senator Carr now institute some positive measures for Research and Science?

Note added December 29: Senator Carr has told The Canberra Times  that the "badly worded and ill-informed" request to CSIRO and other science agencies had been sent by departmental staff without his authority and consent. "There is no question concerning censorship of scientific opinion. There was no directive. I did not authorise it."