A Short Reply from the Office of the Chief Scientist. (September 28, 2011)

The most recent meeting of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) was held on February 4, 2011.

On Saturday, September 3, 2011 TFW emailed the PMSEIC Secretariat: "Are you able to tell me when the next meeting of PMSEIC will be held?"

On Friday September 23, 2011 we received the following reply:

Thank you for your query. At this point in time a PMSEIC meeting date
has not been set.

Antonio Mozqueira
Director - OCS

Today, in concluding her address to the National Press Club, the President of the Australian Academy of Science, Suzanne Cory, quoted from the November 17, 2010 prize giving speech for science by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard:  We live in a crucial time for science in Australia and around the world. It is a time demanding strong leadership, from the grassroots to the highest levels of government. Together, we must ensure that science, research and innovation can continue to play their part in shaping our future and guiding our decisions.

We live in hope but "fine words butter no parsnips"; see below.

In case you're wondering just what the Chief Scientist for Australia, who among other roles is the Executive Officer of PMSEIC, is up to these days we got the following media release yesterday:

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is very pleased to announce that Professor Ian Chubb AC, Australia's Chief Scientist, will deliver the inaugural NTEU Lecture at the University of Melbourne on Thursday 6 October 2011. Professor Chubb will speak on the Future of Science in Australia.

NTEU National President Jeannie Rea said today that "NTEU is honoured to have such an eminent Australian deliver our inaugural Lecture. As a former academic and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chubb is in a very good position to reflect upon the core role of universities in promoting education and research for the public good and in the public interest."