Opinion - 04 April 2001

On December 20^th the eight most prominent Australian Universities, the Group of Eight (Go8) issued a twenty-nine page paper, Research and Innovation in Australia .  The bottom line of their argument is: In summary the additional investment [in research and development] required over five years (2001-02 to 2005-06) is $4.2 billion from business, $6.75 billion from the Commonwealth and $2.7 billion from other non-Commonwealth sources. This increase in R&D investment could be phased in so that, for example, the Commonwealth contribution would start at $450 million in 2001-02 and rise to $2.25 billion in 2005-06.

As a reminder, the total sum earmarked by the government's five year Backing Australia's Ability is $2.9 billion. So how was the Prime Minister's announcement greeted by the Go8 in its press release of  January 29?

"The Group of Eight, Australia's leading universities, today applauded the Federal Government's $2.9 billion Innovation Action Plan for the Future, Backing Australia’s Ability, as a significant commitment to Australia's across the board research and development effort, and particularly welcomes the Prime Minister's strong personal commitment to the implementation process." A strong endorsement or a carefully worded statement designed not to offend the current leadership?

How "...significant [a]commitment to Australia's across the board research and development effort" is $2.9 billion? As a quick calculation perhaps 43%, i.e. 2.9/6.75.

The Go8's press release went on to say, "As a tangible demonstration of its support for maximizing the return on the Government's investment, the Group of Eight universities is hosting a   forum, "Stimulating Innovation in Australia: People for the New Economy" on 16 February 2001. The forum, which will bring together Vice-Chancellors, leaders from government, business and the research sector, will promote the vital links and connections between the key players which are critically important to a high performing national innovation system."

The forum did  indeed take place and involved some sixty participants including the eight V-Cs and three politicians, David Kemp (Lib), Michael Lee (LP) and Natasha Stott Despoja (AD). As one might expect Dr. Kemp in his opening of the forum was self congratulatory with respect to Backing Australia's Ability. Michael Lee's^* contribution has not been made available on the Web but according to Gavin Brown, V-C University of Sydney, "Michael Lee was playing his cards pretty close to his chest, and blaming John Howard for having played his cards close to his chest in 1996. This, I suppose, is fair tactics. He did, however, smile happily when I summed up to him, privately, his address, as having said that they would do everything that the government has promised, plus 20 per cent. And he said, 'not only that Gavin, but we will deliver it faster'. So you all heard that!" 

Well, that gets us from $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion or about 52% of what the Group of Eight recommends. As to the Australian Democrats, Senator Stott Despoja made the opening observation, "Does anyone still doubt that innovation and research and development are the keys to Australia's future social and economic prosperity?
   This has been long standing Democrat policy so it is with a combination of frustration and wry amusement that we listen to the rhetoric of 'can-do country', 'knowledge nation', and Howard's latest mantra, 'having a go'.
   "The key point I want to make this afternoon is developing a culture of innovation is first and foremost, a political issue.
   "Let us be quite clear about this. No innovation strategy will be credible until the defunding of Higher Education is properly addressed and reversed."

Senator Stott Despoja was in fact strongly critical of both the Coalition and Labor as regards their support of science and education. However, it must be said, the Australian Democrats have never set down chapter and verse of their policy on science and education. Until they do, they are no better than those they censure. Hand waving is not promulgating policy.

Well so much for the political representation at the forum. Only Nine of the twenty-nine individuals who spoke allowed their contributions to be published on the Web. Of those that did the most refreshingly forthright came from the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University.

Ian Chubb made the point, "...I also want to tell you that because we've so far taken just those important first steps [in Backing Australia's Ability], we are not yet in a truly sound position to meet the challenges ahead of us in the economy, the new economy. She won't be all right on the day unless we do something more now to make it all right on the day. And having told you that, I hope to enlist your support as we as a community; indeed I hope [to] encourage the Government, the Opposition, politicians in general and the community, that it's time to renew our universities."

Obviously Professor Chubb doesn't equate $2.9 billion with $6.75 billion let alone finding the mechanisms to obtain the additional $6.9 billion from non-Commonwealth sources. And if anyone in power happened to be listening, "Being average is not going to be good enough. Getting an average number of average ability into universities of average quality supported at average levels with average staff to average research would be a simply appalling outcome. Being in the middle of the OECD expenditure tables on education and on research and on development is simply to fail, especially when those around us are improving their position. But it will fail, not just us, but all those who will inherit this country from us."

Now although the Howard Government has been in power just over five years, it may be pertinent to quote from Donald Kennedy's Science editorial of March 23^rd, regarding the US science budget. "The Battle of the Budget has scarcely been joined, ...and the advocates for more of this and that are treading carefully. They have abundant reasons for their caution: Although it is a brand-new White House, it has already proven to be hard to move and willing to punish."

A number of the public statements made by Australia's key scientific and educational administrators bring Donald Kennedy's comment to mind.

 
Credit: Science (23 March 2001)

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The Group of Eight has given the following account -
The Group of Eight is a coalition of Australia's leading universities. Membership comprises the Vice-Chancellors of: Adelaide University, The Australian National University, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, The University of New South Wales, The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney and The University of Western Australia.
    The coalition was formed through consensus on the principle that Australia both needs and deserves universities of world class. The Group of Eight universities undertake 70% of all research conducted in Australian universities and over half of all basic research conducted throughout Australia. They also produce between 60% and 80% of internationally recognised Australian research publications in every field of research and over 80% of   internationally cited university research from Australia.
    The Group of Eight secretariat was established in Canberra in June 2000.