EDITORIAL: POLITICAL CHANGES RING UNCERTAINTY FOR BIOTECH
July 10th 2010 07:16
Thursday June 24, 2010
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BIOTECH DAILY EDITORIAL
It is hard to tell what impact the changes in the Federal Labor Government announced today will have on our sector.
Apart from the departure of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the rise of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Minister for Finance and Member for Melbourne Lindsay Tanner has also announced his resignation as of the coming Federal election.
Mr Tanner has about one quarter of Australia’s biotechnology companies in his electorate of Melbourne, as well as a very large number of biotechnology workers.
But that didn’t help increase Federal funding for our sector
Biotech Daily was told last year that Commercialisation Australia was Prime Minister Rudd’s idea and Mr Tanner said in the Government’s first Budget in 2007 that he was proud to axe the Commercial Ready Scheme.
It appears that much of the Federal Ministry remains unchanged with Senator Kim Carr expected to continue as Minister for Innovation Industry Science and Research.
Biotech Daily has also been informed from several separate sources that Senator Carr strongly supports our sector and has fought for increased funding for biotechnology and will continue to do so.
It is highly unlikely that Commercialisation Australia will be axed in the immediate term.
But that doesn’t mean that we shall fare any better under a Gillard Labor Government.
The loss of Mr Rudd can be seen as a negative and the loss of Mr Tanner as a positive for the sector, although across other issues many would view the outcomes the other way around.
This writer is saddened by the departure of his Federal representative and occasional friend from university days.
Lindsay Tanner has been a very good local member of Parliament and an excellent No 1 ticket holder for the Essendon Football Club, but it is true to say that Lindsay Tanner inflicted the worst cuts to innovation and biotechnology.
It is possible that the next Member of the House of Representatives for Melbourne, either Labor unshackled by ministerial office, or Green, may be able to go into bat for our side somewhat harder.
Whether our sector will see any change between here and the election is unknown.
David Langsam
Editor
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