QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Dr RYAN (Kooyong) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Minister, Australian medical researchers and universities are struggling to survive while your government is releasing less than half of what it could spend from the Medical Research Future Fund. The Parliamentary Budget Office says that you could spend up to $1.4 billion a year while still keeping $24 billion in a fund which was never intended to hold more than $20 billion.

Why won't you release taxpayers' money for the purpose for which it's been set aside?