DIISR, That Directive, Peter Pockley and FoI. (April 22, 2008)

It's a few months past, since those phone calls from Senator Kim Carr's Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research informing the public research organisations and the Cooperative Research Centres to clear all but pedestrian media releases with DIISR became public knowledge.

The subsequent documents, have now been made public by Australasian Science's Peter Pockley through his application to CSIRO's Freedom of Information Officer, Rosemary Caldwell.

You may recall that on December 28, 2007 TFW reported:

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."

On January 18, 2008 Dr Pockley wrote to CSIRO's Freedom of Information Officer: "As advised by Mr Huw Morgan [Manager, CSIRO Media Liaison], I apply for copies of recent letters that have been reported in the media and which Mr Morgan acknowledges are in existence, relating to a purported direction from the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to CSIRO for all proposed media statements to be first checked by the department before promulgation to the general public via the media and CSIRO's written response."

On February 18, 2008 Ms Caldwell supplied three pages of documentation and a covering note which read in part:

The first, an email from DIISR sent on December 17, 2008 to Mr Morgan reads:

While the second is the one page "guidance for clearance... effective immediately".

The third from Mr Hew Morgan in response to Halya Hiadenki's email explains the quantity and quality of media releases issued by CSIRO and reads in part:

Senator Carr told The Canberra Times on December 29, 2007 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."

No directive? But the wording of the "guidance" has the stench of one about it, and leaves little doubt that it is meant to be considered authoritative, emanating from the Prime Minister's Office, and making it clear just how DIISR intends to deal with the matters that fall within its province. It most certainly does not give the impression of a department putting a kindly hand on the shoulders of its "subjects", and there is certainly a suggestion of arbitrary interpretation in it.

Dr Pockley has done the scientific community a service by pressing CSIRO on this matter.

For the full set of documents click here.