Update: 础耻蝉迟谤补濒颈补鈥檚 , the body set up to provide authoritative information on climate change, was another casualty of the government changeover. On 23 September, the former commissioner announced that the as a non-profit Climate Council, funded by donations.
Original article, published 17 September 2013
Australia will no longer have a science minister, following the election of a new government just over a week ago. That could be bad news for climate change and for big science efforts such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.The incoming government clashed with scientists almost immediately, when it dramatically switched strategy on climate change 鈥� dumping the nation鈥檚 embryonic emissions trading scheme, for example.
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Now it has emerged that the will have many fewer posts 鈥� including no minister for science.
鈥淪cience will largely be in the industry portfolio,鈥� said the incoming prime minister, Tony Abbot 鈥� who ran for election on a platform of 鈥� with some responsibilities also falling to the minister for education.
杏吧原创s don鈥檛 agree that this will pick up the slack. , a chemist and policy secretary at the Australian Academy of Science, says a minister is needed so that there is a long-term vision.
Looking to the future
One thing that will suffer is the nation鈥檚 strategy on climate change. 鈥淭he horizon for dealing with climate change is decades rather than one or two years,鈥� says Field, 鈥渟o one needs a strategic vision that looks forward decades鈥�.
This is also true of research projects such as the SKA, he says, a vast internationally funded telescope array, part of which will be in Australia. 鈥淲e鈥檙e about to embark on a huge telescope [project],鈥� he says. 鈥淭he lifetime of that venture is 30 years plus and you need a plan for managing it.鈥�
Catriona Jackson, CEO of agrees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely critical that we have a minister of science,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou need someone to go into cabinet and fight for the scientific cause. There鈥檚 science in virtually everything the government does.鈥�
