2016-02-04
Greens spokesperson for Antarctic issues Senator Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on the reported CSIRO job cuts:
“I am devastated to hear of the hundreds of jobs to be lost across CSIRO especially those 110 supposedly to be lost from the Oceans and Atmosphere division.
“The flagship for the Oceans and Atmosphere division is located in Battery Point, Hobart and is a critical component of Tasmania’s Antarctic and climate sector.
“The Antarctic and climate sector is clearly one of Tasmania’s leading economic opportunities and these sackings are a demoralising blow to its future.
“The scientists in this division are world class and recently led the discovery of the instability in the East Antarctic ice sheet, a discovery of global importance.
“These sackings will have ramifications for every organisation involved in this area including University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, the Integrated Marine Observing System and the Australian Antarctic Division itself.
“This will send shockwaves through the entire science community and massively lower the morale of all those involved.
“I am calling on the Turnbull Government to reverse this decision and on the Hodgman Government to stand up and defend their state’s key economic advantage,” he concluded.