On Tuesday 25th November 2025, I made a speech on Labor's CSIRO job cuts
Transcript:
Ms WATSON-BROWN (Ryan)
Here's a general economic rule. If the government doesn't invest in public research for the public good, you get an economy skewed towards the most base, extractive and profit-seeking sectors. Labor and the coalition, instead of using the wealth generated from our resources to diversify our economy to make Australia more self-reliant and more sovereign, have actually doubled down on our dependence on primary industries, finance and our relationship with the US.
As a case in point, Labor has overseen 800 job cuts at the CSIRO in the past 18 months. Now there are another 350 jobs on the chopping block. There are only around 6,000 workers at CSIRO. We are talking nearly one in five jobs lost. These job losses are worse than under the former coalition government. This government claims it can't properly fund the CSIRO, but it can fund $15 billion in fossil fuel subsidies each year. It can fund $375 billion for nuclear submarines that we probably won't even receive. It can fund $15 billion for property investor tax breaks each year. Science and research may not have the cashed-up lobby groups of these industries, but we desperately need them. Australia's already lagging way behind the rest of the OECD on R&D spending, and we are ranked very low globally for economic complexity. We're heading further and further down the path of a distorted, dependent economy.
The Treasurer said productivity would be the focus of this government. Well, the underfunding of the CSIRO gives the lie to that. CSIRO has brought us fast wi-fi, the Hendra vaccine and insect repellent, among many other great things. CSIRO needs investment to deliver the innovation we need for a resilient and prosperous future for Australia.