Media Conference
CSIRO Discovery Centre, Industry Link Room,
Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain
Acton, Canberra
Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Dr Geoff Garrett
Dr John Stocker
Dr Megan Clark
Garrett: Ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome to you all and thank you for this terrific turnout, this is a very important day in the life of the CSIRO. It’s my great privilege to ask Minister Kim Carr to get things moving.
Carr: Thank you very much, Dr Garrett, and thank you all very much for coming. CSIRO is an Australian icon and international leader in scientific research. Like all great institutions it is constantly evolving. I’m delighted to announce its evolution over the next five years will be guided by Dr Megan Clark, who will take up the position of Chief Executive from January 2009. This is a fantastic appointment.
Dr Clark is a geologist, senior executive of BHP Billiton, a member of the panel which has just completed a root and branch review of Australia’s national innovation system. She is arguably the highest ranking corporate technologist in this country, and she has chosen to work for the Commonwealth. So this is a great vote of confidence in our efforts to reinvigorate the national innovation system. Dr Clark understands science, and just as importantly she understands that science has a social and economic function. Her appointment underlines the ‘I’ in CSIRO, reaffirming the organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for industry and the community.
Dr Garrett’s term as Chief Executive doesn’t end until the end of December, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for the fantastic contribution he has made to this organisation and to my portfolio. I’m sure he will agree that in Dr Clark we have found a worthy successor. Thank you.
[Applause]
Stocker: Well thank you, Minister. As Chairman of the CSIRO Board I’m thrilled and delighted to be able to welcome you here today to share our excitement about this appointment. Dr Megan Clark emerged from a rigorous search process, an international search process that the CSIRO Board initiated seven months ago, and it gave us the opportunity to talk to some very brilliant and wonderful science leaders around the world. The choice that we’ve made was informed by a view that the Board has that this is certainly one of the most important science jobs in the world, it’s certainly one of the most important jobs in Australia, and that we had a massive responsibility to deliver to the nation a person of talent, of commitment, of capability and someone who deeply not only understood the ‘I’, which I agree with is a very important part of this job, but the ‘S’, someone who is passionate interested and involved in science and in sharing our concern about maintaining and building the science capability of CSIRO on behalf of the nation.
You all know the vast span of the scientific activities that CSIRO delivers all the way from agriculture, information and technology, mining and minerals, water and the environment, and with all these myriad of areas I think in recent years under Geoff Garrett’s leadership the organisation has demonstrated its ability to marshal significant national and international effort into the areas of most important national priority and national need. Behind me is an advertisement for the National Research Flagships projects which have played a really important role in this.
Now in interviewing candidates for this job we wanted to be convinced as a Board that we had found someone who got it, who not only got it but had a passion to join and to link, and in Megan, ladies and gentlemen, we found exactly that person.
I think her recent experience, having been for five years, as the Minister mentioned, in charge of the technology effort in BHP Billiton, in the last months Megan has been leading the occupational health safety community & environment areas of BHP, and that’s of massive relevance I think for the job that she has ahead of her. So I’d like you to join me in welcoming to our midst and as our future Executive for CSIRO, Dr Megan Clark.
[Applause]
Clark: Thank you Minster and thank you John for those kind words. I’m truly honoured and thrilled to be able to join such a respected organisation as CSIRO. It really is a great organisation and it holds a unique position in Australia’s national innovation framework. I think there’s never been a better time to have a national research agency absolutely focussed on those critical issues and challenges that face our society and environment such as water, climate, health, agriculture, energy, and at the same time applying the absolute best in innovation to increase the competitiveness of Australian firms and industry.
Geoff has really provided a strategic focus to CSIRO and I am very grateful for the foundation that he leaves to me to build on. He’s built a single organisation, if you like, a one CSIRO; he’s focussed the passion and effort of the organisation into the national priorities, particularly through the Flagship Program. These are the right qualities. So thank you for that, Geoff, and it really is a good, strong foundation.
I think we need to build and protect and nurture that foundation and strengths that exist within CSIRO, and we need to build CSIRO into one of the most respected national institutions and research institutions of the world.
CSIRO has from my experience some of the most passionate and dedicated people and scientists that I have ever met, creating an environment for our people to excel and where nothing comes before their safety and wellbeing will be one of my highest priorities. I have to let you know right now that I’m absolutely passionate about excellence in science, and the application of excellence in science.
Looking forward, and I look forward in the New Year, and it won’t be till the New Year for me to meet people at CSIRO, to engaging with CSIRO’s public and industry partners and collaborators. I look forward very much to working with John as Chairman of the Board, the entire Board, and of course the Minister to really further build CSIRO into one of the most respected institutions in the world, and an institution that is really valued by all its partners, collaborators and stakeholders.
[Applause]
Garrett: Over to the audience to tender questions.
Question: Dr Clark, CSIRO took some very savage budget cuts, what are the challenges you envisage for the organisation in the next year as you deal with those?
Clark: The government committed 2.1 billion dollars to CSIRO in the next three years, and I think that absolutely demonstrates the importance and the role of CSIRO in the national agenda. I certainly look forward to the outcomes of the national innovation review.
Question: Dr Clark, from your background in mining, I’m just wondering if you feel that, how relevant that is given that [inaudible –]
Clark: It’s… I’ve been blessed and lucky enough to have quite a diverse science and technology background [inaudible] not just from mining. Currently we’re doing a sustainability [indistinct], and also even biotechnology [indistinct] and in finance & computing & IT. So it’s quite a broad background and not just the core elements of the technology.
Question: What do you think some of the challenges will be for the CSIRO in the next five years?
Clark: I look forward first of all to actually being in the organisation. I mean listening as well in those first few months to understand some of those challenges.
Question: You do come from industry, do you think that R&D concessions for industry are important and need to be enhanced?
Clark: I think the most important thing is actually going to the core problem and using excellent science to solve the very thing that can add value [indistinct]. I think that’s far more important in terms of adding value [indistinct].
Question: More important than the R&D concessions?
Clark: I think certainly R&D concessions can facilitate right across the board from the absolute smallest firm in Australia, you know, right through. So I think they’re going to be important facilitators, but it really is all about value and making sure that we’re working on the right problem [indistinct].
Question: Dr Clark, can I ask the innovation review [indistinct]…
Carr: Sorry, what…
Question: The innovation review, um, what’s the status of that at the moment?
Carr: Well we’ve received the report, it’s actually at the printers and I would expect that we’ll be able to release it shortly. We’ve had a comprehensive review of Australia’s National Innovation System. Over 630 submissions have been received. Very, very detailed. A very exhaustive study is now being undertaken. I’m in the process of consulting with my colleagues about the content of the report. We will have government response to the report by the end of the year.
Question: Dr Clark, can I ask a question about agriculture, that’s been one of the areas that there were perceptions of cutbacks to fairly important agricultural programs at CSIRO. What view will you bring to that? Where will agriculture rate in your assessment of the way CSIRO should go forward?
Clark: I’m certainly looking forward to learning a lot more about what CSIRO does in that sector, but I think agriculture holds a unique position and it’s very much a part of history of CSIRO, part of the foundation. But now at the point that we are in the world’s history – food, shortage of food – really brings agriculture right back into the forefront, one of I think the biggest challenges facing society. So… and it has a unique position I think in the portfolio.
Question: Dr Clark, can I ask your position on genetically modified given it’s something you will be dealing with in the future?
Clark: I think that will be a great question for a first press release, but one that I really need to do a lot more work and have a lot more understanding on that area before I make a comment.
Question: There have been reports of low morale within CSIRO because of funding cuts, how will you address this in your new role?
Clark: I think one of the legacies that Geoff has put in place is actually CSIRO has never been in a stronger position. The commitment by the government is 2.1 billion dollars I think really underlines the importance of CSIRO in the national framework.
So it really is a strong organisation. It’s been through change, all organisations go through change, and I think particularly in the external environment which is moving at such a fast pace.
Question: Senator Carr, can I ask the, um, the luxury car tax. [Laughter].
Carr: A big issue in CSIRO.
Question: Yes. It is within your portfolio in terms of the…
Carr: Tax …
Question: The deals that have been struck with Greens to exempt [indistinct] on the shipped cars and such, do you think that is a good thing? I mean shouldn’t it have been that way from the start, that biotechnology was rewarded.
Carr: Thank you. There are discussions currently underway between the Greens and other elements of the Senate. We have yet to have a conclusion to those discussions. The arrangements being revealed in the press today suggest that there is an opportunity there for the government to be able to secure what is a major budgetary initiative. This is a proposal that the Liberal opposition is opposing. It has the effect of… The Liberal party’s position is upheld has the effect of reducing the government’s budgetary measures by nearly 500 million dollars. Now as far as I’m concerned, the fundamental issue here is whether Australians should be able to secure further reductions in interest rates rather than debate on the question of taxes on extremely expensive luxury cars. What proposals are before the government at the moment, we’ll see some modifications to the proposal with a relatively little effect on the budgetary impact.
Question: It won’t be that limited if it does go down the Family First route of including things such as 4-wheel drives for farmers and [indistinct] operators.
Carr: Well we’ll wait and see what eventuates. I might make this observation for a lot of people in the press there rediscovering the Senate. After three years of which the Liberal Country, the Liberal National party had a majority [indistinct]. I think by now we’re beginning to understand the process of dialogue that occurs in the Senate and the fact that these matters are not often resolved quickly. So we’re waiting to see the outcomes of those discussions before we can draw definite conclusions. But on the issue of the budget cuts, which has been raised by a couple of people, I think it is important to bear in mind that the budget cuts are in the context of an overall budgetary strategy being pursued by the government which is aimed at reducing interest rates.
Our first priority is to ensure that working people, working families in this country are able to enjoy security, particularly in times of difficult international financial circumstances. The 60 million dollars that I spoke of is in the context where the appropriation for the CSIRO is actually increasing. It is increasing. Now it was a difficult decision that had to be made, but in the context of a budgetary appropriation of 2.1 billion dollars, 60 million is quite minor. All agencies, all agencies are having to deal with this question, and in the context of the overall government strategy I’m confident CSIRO will be able to meet its obligations. And in that matter, we are in the process of discussing these questions still further and there are issues yet to be resolved about the implementation of these budgetary measures. But the fact remains that the CSIRO’s appropriation actually increased.
Question: But Senator Carr, we’re also seeing a brain drain of scientists. You’ve got the Geosciences Australia just down the road, and only yesterday the head of Geosciences at ANU was saying to me that they can’t keep graduates because they’re at… you know, their salaries just aren’t competitive. They’re poached by overseas companies.
Carr: Roslyn, you understand that after 12 years of neglect by the previous government there are serious questions that the National Innovation System is trying to deal with. We are in the process of developing a response to that through the National Innovation Review. It is my expectation that this country will be in a much stronger position at the end of this parliamentary term than it is at the beginning of the parliamentary term.
Question: But, Senator, your party also had 12 years in opposition to hold the government to account.
Carr: And you don’t think we did?
Question: Well explain the brain drain then?
Carr: Well, Roslyn, in my experience it’s governments that make decisions not oppositions.
Female: Last question.
Question: Senator Carr, if you can, the Finance and Deregulation, there’s talk that they haven’t actually finished with their cuts, there still is [indistinct] towards the departments about further efficiencies and such, can you guarantee that the CSIRO won’t be undergoing the kind of cuts received in the May budget?
Carr: The government is constantly reviewing its budgetary allocations, and that… they, the government’s Expenditure Review Committee does that on a line-by-line basis right across government. I’m not aware of any further measures in regard to the CSIRO that have been raised by the Expenditure Review Committee.
Garrett: Well thank you very much indeed for your attendance. You will of gathered that the Board, under the Chairman’s guidance undertook a comprehensive process internationally. I think we’ve come up with the best of the best. We have a wonderful person, a wonderful lady, a wonderful leader, and my executive colleagues and myself are really, really excited about this appointment going forward. Over the next few months I will certainly be working hard to the 31st of December making sure that the baton of leadership gets handed over very cleanly. I’d like to thank the Minister for his attendance and participation and strong support, and I’d like to invite you to join us for refreshments now.
Thanks very much.