The Incredible Shrinking Website of the Chief Scientist. (July 8, 2011)

Following the departure of Professor Penny Sackett from the office of Australia's Chief Scientist on March 4, 2011 the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, announced on April 19, 2011 that the post would be filled by the recently retired vice-chancellor of The Australian National University, Professor Ian Chubb, and on May 23, 2011 Professor Chubb was installed.

Since that time professor Chubb has given a number of media interviews and an address to Australia's National Press Club where he has stated his strong support for the finding that anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases has a significant effect on global warming. He has also indicated that he sees his role as one of being a quiet messenger acting as a conduit for purveying scientific knowledge to our policy makers. And he has emphasised on several occasions that: "One of my first tasks will be to carry out a thorough check of Australia's science sector, its profile and its sustainability." Now 8-weeks into the job (you might say just over halfway into his first 100-days) it might be interesting to see a progress report.

Perhaps one indication of changes being instituted by Professor Chubb is www.chiefscientist.gov.au/.

The only visible addition to the website since Professor Chubb became Chief Scientist is his address to the National Press Club on June 21^st.

However, under media releases, there are no entries from Professor Chubb and those of Professor Sackett have been removed -- as is also the case under Media / Interviews & Transcripts.

The link to "Blogs" that was on the homepage has been removed and the Blogs' folder while accessible through Google is empty.

In short:

the Chief Scientist's website gives every indication of having become an orphan. For example the last link through ">Science in the News" is to an April 18, 2011 page in Cosmos.