QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (15:57): One of the observation that that report that I just referred to makes is that there is $15 billion being spent across the Australian system in 160 research and development programs across government this financial year. We need to make sure that that effort is directed in the national interest.

We need to make sure that it aligns with our national science priorities. We support science. We unequivocally support our research institutions and our scientists.

There are alternative approaches that are all about misrepresenting and diminishing science, scientists and empirical knowledge. I saw that last year Senator Canavan had a breaking Twitter update where he posted a screenshot that claimed that the CSIRO had shown coal to be the cheapest form of power. The only issue was that he'd cropped the CSIRO graphic to dishonestly convey— (Time expired)