Insult to North Queensland research

Published Friday, 06 June, 2014 at 03:23 PM

Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
The Honourable Ian Walker

North Queenslanders are being treated as second-class citizens by Victorian Labor Senator Kim Carr, with the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Industry insulting researchers and their hard work.

Queensland Science and Innovation Minister Ian Walker said Senator Carr’s comments this week criticising the James Cook University’s research record and North Queensland expertise were cheap political points at the expense of North and Far North Queenslanders.

“What Senator Carr fails to understand is that the Newman Government is about building jobs, infrastructure, capacity and excellence in regional Queensland,” Mr Walker said.

“We have a strong plan to grow research and the results will create a brighter future that will benefit families across Australia.

“The decision to fund the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine with $42.1 million, which the Abbott Government matched, has put research funds into where they can do the most good.

“It’s not rocket science to know researchers in the tropics, on the frontline in the fight against tropical diseases, are best positioned to lead the world in this area of medicine.

“It delivers on our election promise to revitalise frontline services.

“Senator Carr’s comments show that, just like Queensland Labor, the federal opposition has no plan.”

Mr Walker said North Queensland researchers have the training, expertise and now the funds to make a real difference to not just Queenslanders, but to also export their results to the rest of the world.

“Less than 12 months ago, Labor Senator Jan McLucas announced the opening of the $25 million Cairns Institute at James Cook University which Senator Carr said would attract leading academics,” he said.

“Now he’s suggesting the $42 million promised to James Cook University would have been better spent elsewhere.

“It’s the same sort of hypocrisy that we have sadly come to expect from Labor.”

[ENDS] 6 June 2014

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