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Indeed. The most recent governments' hostility toward scientific research has been hugely damaging to the research community in Australia. The CSIRO were once a

by enneff 8y ago

Indeed. The most recent governments' hostility toward scientific research has been hugely damaging to the research community in Australia. The CSIRO were once an amazing asset to the world, now with their funding slashed dramatically there are many brilliant teams without the resources to develop their ideas. So disappointing and frustrating to watch. :-(

BigJono 8y ago
They are and always have been a bunch of anti-intellectual religious zealots. I'm not sure what anyone was expecting. There's still too many people drinking the kool-aid to say it now, but I'd be very surprised if by 2050, Tony Abbott isn't considered the worst PM in Australian history.
- electricwater 8y ago
  I think Tony Abbott moved to the Republic of Gilead.
- hydrox24 8y ago
  > "anti-intellectual religious zealots" This is a ridiculous thing to say. Curtin, Hawke, and Gillard all left the faiths they were raised in, and the first two Prime Ministers were Spiritualist (no dogma, not really zealots) and Unitarian (no supernatural belief) respectively. Australia is not a country in which accusations of zealotry can be fairly levelled. If you'll allow me to ignore the non-sequiter about Abbott, it's worth pointing out that while he did cut CSIRO funding, as much to my disappointment as it was to yours, it wasn't really unprecedented, with funding experiencing lows that were similar under Hawke and Howard.[0] We ought to fund public research better in this country. We can afford it. But we don't have to use silly name-calling to get there. [0]: https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-much-does-australia-spend-on-science-and-research-61094 https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-much-does-austra...
  - enneff 8y ago
    I think they were referring to the previous two Coalition governments. Abbott was certainly a religious zealot.

3 ms·

Indeed. The most recent governments' hostility toward scientific research has been hugely damaging to the research community in Australia. The CSIRO were once a

by enneff 8y ago

BigJono 8y ago
They are and always have been a bunch of anti-intellectual religious zealots. I'm not sure what anyone was expecting. There's still too many people drinking the kool-aid to say it now, but I'd be very surprised if by 2050, Tony Abbott isn't considered the worst PM in Australian history.
- electricwater 8y ago
  I think Tony Abbott moved to the Republic of Gilead.
- hydrox24 8y ago
  > "anti-intellectual religious zealots" This is a ridiculous thing to say. Curtin, Hawke, and Gillard all left the faiths they were raised in, and the first two Prime Ministers were Spiritualist (no dogma, not really zealots) and Unitarian (no supernatural belief) respectively. Australia is not a country in which accusations of zealotry can be fairly levelled. If you'll allow me to ignore the non-sequiter about Abbott, it's worth pointing out that while he did cut CSIRO funding, as much to my disappointment as it was to yours, it wasn't really unprecedented, with funding experiencing lows that were similar under Hawke and Howard.[0] We ought to fund public research better in this country. We can afford it. But we don't have to use silly name-calling to get there. [0]: https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-much-does-australia-spend-on-science-and-research-61094 https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-much-does-austra...
  - enneff 8y ago
    I think they were referring to the previous two Coalition governments. Abbott was certainly a religious zealot.