PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR PROFESSOR SLATYER
26 AUGUST 1992
Professor and Mrs Slatyer, Ministerial Colleagues,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you all for joining Annita and myself tonight, to
farewell Ralph Slatyer and afford him the recognition he
deserves as he steps down from the position of Chief
Scientist. I might say that for one so used to being among
practitioners of the dismal science, it's a pleasure to
be among exponents of the real thing.
In fact I've spent a decade attempting to push Australia
in the direction of innovation, manufacturing, creatingmaking
things. Using our brains.
It's always seemed to me that in the end this is the best
measure of how far we have come. How civilised we are.
Both in his role as Chairman of ASTEC from 1982-198.7 and
then as Chief Scientist since 1989, Ralph Slatyer has
been a pivotal figure in providing advice on-cee and
technology matters to the Government.
There have been enormous changes in this period.
Industrial R& D in Australia has had one of the fastest
' rates ofi growth of all OECD countries, and attitudes in
the business community to technology and innovation are
changing rapidly.
The universities are now increasingly involved with the
employers of their students and the users of their
science and technology.
The Government research agencies have developed strong
links with indusiitry and other users of their research.
There is a new spirit of cooperation between researchers,
and with research users.
Ralph Slatyer has been a key player in all of this.
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I might say that the Government itself has been extremely
active. The recently released White Paper on Science and
Technology, called Developing Au~ trali an Id-Cass A
Blupfroinr theI is eience of7 our commitment to
the crucial role which science and technology can and
must play in shaping the future of Australia.
our belief in this was further emphasised by the decision
in the Budget to make the 150 per cent tax concession for
research and development a permanent feature of the tax
system.
So too, the establishment of the Cooperative Research
Centres Program testifies to the Government's
determination to strengthen our science and technology
system and capture its benefits in Australia.
Ralph Slatyer, of course, was involved in the creation of
this program.
He has also established the Prime Minister's Science and
Engineering Council and guided it successfully through
the early years to become a major national forum.
All of his work has been characterised by imagination,
professionalism and pragmatism. He has a flair for
creating mechanisms that work in practice.
At the same time Ralph has made important philosophical
contributions to our thinking on the roles of public and
private institutions in building a technologically
innovative and internationally-oriented Australia.
He has been a capable leader and coordinator.
He has been, first and foremost, an Australian determined
to help his country build its place in the world.
For over twenty years he has given exemplary service to
Australian governments of different political
persuasions. At the national level he has also been a leader in
developing environmental policy and in formulating
practical programs for ecologically sustainable
development. He has managed the not inconsiderable feat of gaining the
respect of both the conservation movement and the major
resource based industries.
At the international level, he was President of two
important intergovernmental environmental programs where
Australia has been influential in determining their
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He was also President of the International Council of
Scientific Unions, as well as being involved in one of
its important non-governmental environmental programs.
To do all this in addition to his full time and part time
commitments in Australia, both to the Government and to
the Australian National University, is remarkable.
Not surprisingly, Ralph has high standing in the science
and technology community. His research career led to his
election at an early age to the Australian Academy of
Science, and then to the Royal Society of London and the
United States National Academy of Sciences.
He is one of a very small number of scientists who have
been elected to both these famous national academies.
In closing let me just say that I have mentioned only
some of the highlights of Ralph Slatyer's distinguished
career and its outstanding value to the government. I
know there is much more to be told.
Ralph, your work has brought great credit to yourself, to
the institutions with which you have been associated, and
to your country.
On behalf of the Government and the people of Australia I
congratulate and thank you and extend to you and June
every best wish for the future.
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