Greens Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt MP, today welcomed the Senate’s support for research funding. 

“It’s great news that the Senate has today passed the Greens’ motion calling for the Government to respect research by lifting research funding and not cutting it in the forthcoming Budget. 

“In the lead-up to the Budget, the Senate has thrown down the gauntlet and put the Abbott Government on notice that any moves to cut research funding won’t have the Parliament’s support.

Tony Abbott has killed the auto industry and jeopardised Australia's clean energy future, Greens Deputy Leader and industry spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said today.

Toyota has reportedly announced it will end the production of cars in Australia from 2017.

"Successive governments have failed to make auto manufacturing sustainable, but Tony Abbott was the final nail in the auto industry's coffin," said Mr Bandt.

Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt has called on the Abbott government to reject the recommendations of a Productivity Commission paper on government assistance to car makers released today.

The Greens are prepared to see industry assistance continue but on the condition that the industry transition to cleaner and electric vehicles and component manufacturing.

"This is a recipe for carmageddon for the Australian auto industry. The government should reject it," Mr Bandt said.

Greens Acting Leader, Adam Bandt says he is gravely concerned about reports that almost a quarter of CSIRO jobs are under threat from the government's public service freeze.

Mr Bandt said CSIRO cuts would amount to economic vandalism and again prove the anti-science bias of the government.

"Once again we see the anti-science bias of this government on display," Mr Bandt said.

"Tony Abbott is again acting like a Luddite. In the absence of a Science Minister, Tony Abbott needs to urgently clarify what he is going to do to reverse this decision."

Science and innovation is the key to prosperity. If we want a strong economy after the mining boom boosting our investment in science is vital.

Our investment in science and research is lagging behind many other developed countries and according to the Chief Scientist we may be set to go backwards.

The Greens will boost Australian investment in research and innovation to 3% of GDP by 2020, boost research councils, reverse Labor's cuts to research funding and more.

Our roadmap to reach 3% of GDP by 2020 includes:

Our economy is facing serious challenges as the world moves beyond simply consuming our resources. Trailblazing innovation will be critical to our future prosperity. Caring for workers requires government to invest in the jobs of the future today.

Labor has been stealing from our future by cutting funding from research and development programs and our universities. Meanwhile Tony Abbott doesn't want anything to change. He sees coal and mining as the future, regardless of the fact that our trading partners are moving in the other direction.

Greens Deputy Leader and science and research spokesperson Adam Bandt has backed a call by Australia’s research and science community for a strategic national research policy to build a stronger, smarter nation.

Today for the first time Australian research bodies, representing hundreds of thousands of Australians, came together to urge non-partisan support for science and all forms of research.

“The Australian Greens wholeheartedly support the six principles outlined by the research and science community today,” Mr Bandt said today.

Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt has welcomed the government's introduction of anti-dumping legislation, but says the government must now work on local content rules for investments.

"These anti-dumping measures are long overdue", Mr Bandt said

"But these measures alone will not address the problems our manufacturers face. Unless we have strong rules on local content, manufacturing will continue to be squeezed," Adam Bandt said today.

Greens Deputy Leader and industry and innovation spokesperson Adam Bandt MP says today’s announcement by Ford shows Labor is failing Australian manufacturing and that urgent investment in high speed rail is needed to stimulate the sector.
 
“Workers and their families are now paying a big price for Labor’s lack of vision,” Mr Bandt said.
 
“Successive governments have failed to use support for the auto industry to drive innovation.”
 

Greens Deputy Leader and science and research spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, says the government must boost CSIRO funding in the upcoming Budget to stave off possible job cuts.

The CSIRO Board have announced a cut of 5% to jobs and operating costs.

"The CSIRO Board is ringing the alarm bell and the government must listen. A loss of up to 200 jobs will be a blow to Australia's research community," Mr Bandt said.

"Research and innovation is crucial to our economic prosperity and CSIRO is the cornerstone of our national research effort."