PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 5 OCTOBER 1989
I wish to announce details of the membership and initial
work program of the Prime Minister's Science Council.
The creation of the Council was one of the measures
announced in the joint statement ' Science and Technology for
Australia', which I and the Minister Assisting for Science
and Technology, Mr Jones, released in May of this year.
In that statement, Mr Jones and I said that the Council
would be ' a major new national forum for consideration of
science and technology issues'. The Council will meet at
least twice a year to consider issues of national importance
in science and technology.
The membership of the Council is attached.
The Council will meet for the first time on Friday 6 October
in the Cabinet Room of Parliament House. There will be two
principal items for discussion: global climatic change and
the issues it raises for Australia, and Australia's
scientific and technological resources and their
utilisation. The Council will be joined for each discussion by scientists
and business people familiar with these issues, some of whom
have been invited to present papers to the Council. These
papers will be published after the meeting.
O I also wish to announce that the Coordination Committee on
Science and Technology had held its first meeting under its
Chairman, Professor Ralph Slatyer. The Committee, which
comprises senior officials from Commonwealth departments and
agencies engaged in the conduct or funding of research and
development, was also created as part of the strategy for
science and technology announced in the May statement. The
Committee is expected to hold about four meetings a year.
The Committee provides a means for departments and agencies
to share information on their research activities and
coordinate * their views on matters* requiring the attention of
the Government.
At its first meeting, the Committee held preliminary
discussions on two major issues: human resources for
research and development and the related question of career
structures for scientists, and ways of selecting priority
areas for research.
The Committee will meet again in October to consider papers
on both these issues and on other matters raised by members.
Further information: Eric James 71 5209 55 1289 ( H)
MEMBERSHIP OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S SCIENCE COUNCIL
The Prime Minister ( Chair)
The Hon Barry Jones, MP
Minister Assisting for Science and Technology
( Deputy Chair)
The Hon Neal Blewett, MP
Minister for Community Services and Health
Senator the Hon John Button,
Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce
The Hon John Dawkins, MP
Minister for Employment, Education and Training
The Hon John Kerin, MP
Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
Dr Keith Boardman, FAA, FRS
Chief Executive of CSIRO
Professor Ray Martin, AO, FAA
Chairman of the Australian Science and Technology Council
A representative of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Professor Brian Anderson, FAA, FRS
Head of the Department of Systems Engineering in the
Research School of Physical Sciences at the Australian
National University
Sir Gustav Nossal, AC. FAA, FRS
Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical
Research Professor Cheryl Praeger, Professor of Pure Mathematics at
the University of Western Australia
Sir Peter Abeles, Managing Director of TNT
Mr Roger Allen, Managing Director of Computer Power
Mr Trevor Eastwood, Managing Director of Wesfarmers
Mr John Ralph, AO
Managing Director and Chief Executive of CRA
Dr John Stocker, Managing Director of AMRAD
Professor Ralph Slatyer, AO, FAA, FRS
Chief Scientist ( Executive Officer)