PRIESS DECE: MBER 8,1975
TH--E -AUS' 5TRALI-AN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCI[ L
THlE LIBER-AL AND NATIONAL COUNTRY PARTY COALITION INTEND THA
THE AUSTRLA SCIENCE AND TEHOLGCUCIL NILL BE,, ABSOLUTELY
INDEPENDENT. ASTEC WfILL ADVISE ON TH:-WHLERANGE OF SCI] , CE.
AND TECID; OLOGY MATTERS IN GOVERNMENT AND ON THE RELATIONS BETW-, EEN,-
THE GOVER. NMEN-T, U-NIVERSITIES AND INDUSTRY.
THE CO-UNCIL IVILL BE THE ' MAJOR INDEPENDENT ADVISOR TO GOVERNTMENT
ON SUCH * MATTERS AS:
THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION O-F SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOrlY TO NATIONAL NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES.
NEWi AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IHICH ARE OF
IMPORTANCE TO AUST-RALIAk, INCLUDING FIELDS OF : llNDUSTRIA
AND CO)-EERCIA-LLY ORIENTED RESEAR7CH AN---D DEVELOPI'NT.
THE BALA\ NCE, ADEQUACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF NATION-, AL
EFFOR'LS IN VARIOUS FIELDS. OF SCIENCE AN1\ D TECILNOLOCGY,
INCLLUDING-DEFENCE SCIENCE, AND MEANS FOR IMPROVENG
EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF RESOURCES.
TIE RELATIVE IM1PORTANCE OF EFFORTS IN\-THO'SE F-EIDs
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WyHICH MALY CONTRIBUTE TO
NATIONAL ECONOMIC ANDSOCIAL DEVELOPMEN T AND W-TFARE
AND TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE.
THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPIMENT AND UTILISATION or SCIFNU[ LFic
AND TECHNOLOGICAL MANUP OWIER. / 2
AS THE PROBLEMS OF SCIENCE INVOLVE ALL AREAS OF GOVERNMENT,
AND ARE OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE TO AUSTRALIA, ASTEC WILL
REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE PRIME MINISTER WHO WILL REPORT TO
PARLIAMENT. THE COUNCIL WILL BE A BODY OF THE HIGHEST STATUS
AND GREATEST INDEPENDENCE.
THE DAMALGE DONE TO C. S. I. R. O.' S MORALE AND PRODUCTIVITY BY
MR CONNOR'S . UNILATERALG RAB FOR POWIER WILL BE REMEDIED. WE
WILL ENSURE THAT THE INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY OF C. S. I. R . O.
IS MAINTAINED.
THE ABILITY OF THE A. R. G. C. TO SUPPORT EXCELLENCE IN CREATIVE
RESEARCH WILL BE GREATLY STRENGTHENED. FINANCE WILL BE MADE
AVAILABLE ON A TRIENNIAL BASIS WHICH WILL PERMIT LONG-TERM
AND PREDICTABLE RESEARCH SUPPORT PROGRAMMES.
TRIENNIAL FUNDING WILL ALSO BE RESTORED FOR UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE AND SCHOOL PROGRAMMES.
THE NEGLECT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH HIGILLGHHTED BY LABOR'S
SLASHING OF FUNDS THROUGH A " CLERICAL ERROR" RESULTED IN MANY
OF OUR LEADING MEDICAL RESEARCHERS CONSIDERING EMMIGRATION.
WE WILL STRENGTHEN ARRANGEMENTS FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL
RESEARCH, AND ENSURE THAT RESEARCH IN THESE AREAS CAN RESPOND
TO CONTEMPORARY COMMUNITY NEEDS.
WE WILL CLOSELY CONSIDER THE SCIENCE TASK FORCE REPORT TO THE
ROYAL COMMISSION ON AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
WHICH WAS RELEASED ON TUESDAY. " J
G0? 13PiESS I IE C Y" I} lo 1 c7
THEi SOr" ] -E-RCAEA A'D TEC: rTNoOOGY C OUN-. 7cI.[ L
THE ITBERL AD NATIONAL COUNTRY PAR Y COALL'LION TE THAT
THE AU STR' Ll-N SCITENCE ADTECHNOLOGY COUNXCIL LL BEPM SOU~ E
INDPEDET. ASTEC W-, ILL, ADVISE ON TH THOLE MRANGE OF SCI) i. CE.
AND TECH2NOLOGY MATTMERS 1IN', GOV ERftNMIEN T AN-" D ONx TJIE RELATION'-S B ETW -EEN,
THE GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITIES AND :[ Ni\ D'; STRY.
THE CUCLWILL BE THE M-AJOR INDEPE_-. DEN1 \ T ADVISOR TO G--OV* ERN1.\ IEN,\, T
O. N SUCH " MilTTIERS AS.-
1i THE DEVELOP., M -, NT AND APPLICATION 0? F SCIENCE AND
TEC; HNOLOG;' Y TO NATIONA. L, NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES.
NEW AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHINOLOGY WHICH ARE Olii
IM' PORITANCE TO AUSTRALIA, INCLUDING FIELDS OF I[ NDUSTRIALLY
AND COMMERCIA, LLY ORIENTED RESEAC A. D DIVELOP r-NT.
THE BAACADEQUACY AND EFFECTIYENESS OF NATPIONAL
EFFORT1S IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF SCIEN. CE AND TECHNOLOGY,
INCLUTDING DEFENCE. SCIENCE, AND XNS FOR IIMPROVING
EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF RESOURCES.
() TIM REL. ATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EFFORTS I. N THOSE FI. ELDS
OF SCIENCE AND TECNOLOGYf IWHICH NAkY CONTRIBUTE TO
NATIONAXL ECON-, OMIC-AND SOCIAL DEVELOPM, 0)', ENT AND WELMFAR'E
AND TO THEF ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFI[ C KNOWI'L ED G E
THE EFLFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILISATION OF SCIENTITIC
AN-\-D TECHNOLOGICAL M\ AINPOWER. / 2
AS THE PROELfMS 0-F SCIEC INVOLVE ALL AREAS OF COVEIZ, NlfENT,
AND ARE ; A GSff,_ OR; NCE To AU STRALIA, ASTEC, WILL
REPORT DMTR~ TTTO THE PRI7E W'IIIO0T ERW : L L REPORT TO
PA& RL*:[ E AMIEN THE COUNCIL WILL BE A BODY OF THE HICHEST STATUS
AND GREATEST INDEPENDNC.
THE DAMACGE DON E TO C. S. I. R. 0. ' S MORALE AND PRODUJCTIVITY BY
1% M CON-NOR'S UN. ILATER-A. L, GRAB FOR POW. IE.-iR lI-ELL RE R0f-iErl7 D. W E
WvlILL, ENSURE T11AT THE INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY OFC. S. T. R. 0.
IS N2INTAINED.
THE ABILITY OF THE A. R. G. C. TO SUPPOIRr EXCEL. fENCICE _ FN CREATIVE
RESEA'RCH V:. LL BE GREATLY STRENGTHN'ED. FINANCE VILL BE IADE
A\\ TAILABIE ON A TRIENNIAL BASIS WHICH VILL PERM0IT LONG-TERNI
AND PREDICTABLE RESEARCH SUPPORT PROGR-IMMES.
TRIENNIAL FUNDING WILL ALSO BE RESTORED FOR UNIVETRSITY
COLLEGE AND SCHOOL PROGRAMMDES.
THE NEGLECT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED BY LABOR'S
SLASHING OF' FUN\ DS THROUGH A " CLERICAL ERROR" RESULTED IN MANY
OF OUR LEADING ] MEDICAL RESEA. RCHERS CONSIDERING E. M\ ING PA'.[' ON.
WE W11ILL STRENGTHEN ARPAiNGMENNTS FOR HEALTH AND 1D. I DICAL
RESEA. RCH, A , D ENi\ TSURE THAT RESEARCH IN THESE AREAS CAN RESPOND
TO CONTENLPORARY C0OMMU, 11-TNTITY NEEDS.
WE* WILL CLOSELY CONSIDER THE SCIENCE TASK FORCE REPORT TO THE
ROYAL C 02' I. S S ION ON AUSTRALICAN GOVERNMENT ADMIN]: STRATION
WHICH WAS RELEASED ON TUESDAY.