A YEAR after his government was criticised for failing to appoint a science minister for the first time in decades, Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has announced he will be chairing a Commonwealth Science Council. Its aim is to "improve the focus on science" and be "the pre-eminent body for advice on science and technology in Australia".
The panel includes astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt, the co-developer of the cervical cancer vaccine, Ian Frazer, Australia's ministers for health, education and industry, and its chief scientist.
The council has a budget of A$12 million ($10.5m), mostly earmarked for improving science education in primary and secondary schools.
An article in Business Insider Australia questions how far that cash will go: "$12 million seems like a paltry investment in the education of future scientists". It notes that in May, A$111 million was slashed from the budget of CSIRO – Australia's national research agency – over four years.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Science agenda"
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