2018-10-31
Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has rebuked Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan's proposed national interest test as a smokescreen for political interference.
Senator Faruqi said:
"When the Liberals and Nationals say national interest, we know what they really mean. They have such a narrow understanding of the importance of research in all fields, who knows what will be on the chopping block. Perhaps the Minister would like to cut off research relating to trade unions, climate change or asylum seekers?
"A national interest test is a smoke screen for allowing the government of the day to insert their political priorities into the independent research approval process.
"This is a desperate beat up on research and academics to try and revive the Government's vote which is in freefall.
"If the Minister wanted to act for the national interest he would allow academics to continue the centuries-old tried and tested process of peer review," she concluded.