On 25 May 2026, I gave a Speech on CSIRO Cuts
Transcript:
Ms WATSON-BROWN (Ryan)
CSIRO – our peak research body – has just cut another 92 jobs. This is after cutting 800 over the last 2 years.
Many of these latest jobs were crucial roles in climate research.
They were crucial jobs helping continue the development of our climate modelling system – Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator. Roughly a third of climate modelling jobs have been cut.
This Labor government likes to talk as though it is a champion of climate action. But moments like this indicate that they just don’t get it.
Where’s the funding for this crucial research?
Why are Labor continuing to approve new coal and gas mines?
Why did they cut $4 billion from the renewables transition in this latest budget?
This goes beyond climate. Does the Australian government, under Labor or the LNP, have a vision for how our economy prospers into the future? Or are we just an unproductive resource economy?
Our R&D investment in Australia is miserably low - 1.7% of GDP. The OECD average is around 2.7%.
Here’s a proposal: tax our gas while we can, use a bunch of that money to fund an explosion of R&D and drive an innovative economy that tackles climate change and generates wealth from other sectors – not just resources and property.