Face-off at the Gungahlin Homestead Coral. (May 14, 2005)

    In what may be one of the stupidest exhibitions of public relations by a member of CSIRO's administration, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, chief Dr Andrew Johnson, is reported by The Canberra Time's Rosslyn Beeby to have carpeted some thirteen divisional honorary research fellows and then, as their spokesman put it, "rapped [them] over the knuckles and told [them] to shut up."

Dr Johnson told Ms Beeby that the meeting was to remind the research fellows of their formal obligations and to establish rules about their conduct, and went on to say,  "They are guests of this division. They are not employees of the organisation. They have been told they are not entitled to make independent comment." He denied that he had reprimanded Dr Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe for the criticism of Divisional policy, made by the pioneering marsupial ecologist at the launch of the second edition of his Life of Marsupials, but said it had been made "loud and clear if they wish to stay on as part of CSIRO..."

Ms Beeby reports, "A member of the group said the honorary fellows had been given three choices - they could agree with division's restructure, disagree but 'be prepared to wear it', or resign if they felt they couldn't 'live with the changes'."

Senator Kim Carr (Labor, Victoria) told Ms Beeby he would be pursuing the matter in Senate estimates while The President of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties, Terry O’Gorman in clear contradiction to Dr Johnson said "The traditional justification for banning public servants from speaking out is that this action could frustrate the adoption and formulation of government policy. This is hardly the case when distinguished scientists [who are doing honorary work for an organisation] are engaging in debate over the integrity or application of research."

It is also Dr Johnson's position that Dr Tyndale-Biscoe is "entitled to his view, but it is a mistaken view". The Chief of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems didn't elaborate.