News & Views item - February 2011

 

"Have You [Professor Sackett] Given Any Personal Direct Briefings (to Then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd)". (February 22, 2011)

On February 19 TFW wrote: "This sudden announcement [of her resignation] by the designated chief scientific advisor to the Australian government should be deeply disturbing to the nation's scientific community in particular as well as our population as a whole in regard to the position of  science in the formulation of governmental policy... It will be interesting to see who will be prepared to take on the position, one that appears to have been of little interest to Kevin Rudd during his tenure as Prime Minister or currently to his successor Julia Gillard."

 

Now Leigh Dayton, writes in today's Australian: "In response to the question by Liberal senator David Bushby [during Senate estimates this past October], "Have you given any personal direct briefings (to then prime minister Kevin Rudd)", she replied, "One".

 

So far it is not on public record as to how frequent have Professor Sackett's "personal direct briefings" been to Julia Gillard since she became Prime Minister.

 

In contrast Ms Dayton points to the situation in Great Britain where, since taking up the post of the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor beginning in 2008, Professor John Beddington, has been responsible for increasing the scientific capacity across Whitehall by encouraging all major departments of state to recruit a Chief Scientific Adviser.

 

While the Government Office of Science is part of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, Professor Beddington reports directly to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.

 

Similarly John Holdren heads the Office of Science and Technology Policy. He reports directly to US President Barack Obama and chairs the bimonthly meetings of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

 

While Australia removed the office of Chief Scientist from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to what is today the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research with Senator Kim Carr as minister, and to whom Australia's Chief Scientist is directly responsible, the Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a more direct approach in dealing with an office he was not interested in consulting. He abolished the office of the National Science Advisor earlier in 2008.

 

ANU's Mount Stromlo Observatory's Professor Brian Schmidt is one of the ARC's Federation Fellows. He told Ms Dayton that Professor Sackett, "has always strongly supported a key role for science in setting government policy," and he noted that she made it clear when she accepted the appointment of Chief Scientist that "scientists can and should engage with government to inform national policy while effectively communicating with the people of Australia about the scientific issues that affect their lives... the chief scientist must be a strong and continuous advocate of evidence-based decision-making".

 

And in Professor Schmidt's view, rightly so.

 

 Professor Sackett is scheduled to front a Senate estimates hearing tomorrow February 23, and according to those whole have worked with her on committees she will be thoughtful, polite but direct in her testimony and responses.