13 June 2012, 130612, 2012 budget, CSIRO, energy, Health, Nadine Flood, public sector, Public service, tax evasion, wifi technology
Nadine Flood questions whether governments take our science and other publicly funded breakthroughs for granted.
The CSIRO is one of Australia’s most respected institutions. The Bureau of Meteorology is crucial in times of impending climate crisis. They are also part of the public service. And though their specialty is science, other areas of the public sector are also responsible for innovation — from agricultural land use to new ways of fighting tax evasion.
See a brief history of CSIRO achievements from wi-fi to dollar notes.
It’s a concept that is often lost at Budget time when governments keen to trim down costs often take a knife to the public sector. It’s easy pickings if the millions of dollars saved or made by innovations in technology, energy and health fail to be counted as assets.
The CPSU’s Nadine Flood tells 3Q how the CSIRO’s development of wi-fi technology transformed the world and brought $500 million into Australia through patent fees. Yet if the Opposition has its way, crucial funding of the sciences and other public sector innovation would be lost.
Further cuts on the grounds of “efficiency” will have long term effects on our ability to innovate.
12 June 2012, 120612, business groups, charitable organisations, environment groups, Federal Parliament, high court, Newspapers, Online news media, political parties, Public service, Religious organisations, the abc, the reserve bank, Trade Unions, tv news media
Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?
|
Total trust 26 Sep 11 |
Total trust 12 Jun 12 |
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
A little trust |
No trust |
Don’t know |
% change |
|
| The High Court |
72% |
60% |
20% |
40% |
24% |
9% |
7% |
-12 |
| The ABC |
46% |
54% |
15% |
39% |
31% |
10% |
6% |
+8 |
| Charitable organisations |
61% |
50% |
8% |
42% |
35% |
10% |
5% |
-9 |
| The Reserve Bank |
67% |
49% |
13% |
36% |
30% |
14% |
7% |
-18 |
| Environment groups |
45% |
32% |
6% |
26% |
35% |
25% |
7% |
-13 |
| The Commonwealth Public Service |
49%* |
30% |
4% |
26% |
42% |
18% |
9% |
-19 |
| Religious organisations |
29% |
27% |
5% |
22% |
30% |
37% |
6% |
-2 |
| Newspapers |
na |
26% |
3% |
23% |
46% |
23% |
5% |
na |
| Online news media |
na |
23% |
2% |
21% |
45% |
25% |
6% |
na |
| Federal Parliament |
55% |
22% |
3% |
19% |
37% |
36% |
6% |
-33 |
| Trade unions |
39% |
22% |
3% |
19% |
32% |
37% |
9% |
-17 |
| Business groups |
38% |
22% |
2% |
20% |
46% |
24% |
8% |
-16 |
| TV news media |
na |
21% |
3% |
18% |
43% |
30% |
5% |
na |
| Political parties |
na |
12% |
2% |
10% |
31% |
52% |
5% |
na |
Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.
* This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.
Respondents had most trust in the High Court (60%), the ABC (54%), charitable organisations (50%) and the Reserve bank (49%). They had least trust in political parties (12%), TV news media (21%) Federal Parliament, trade unions and business groups (all 22%).
Trust in all institutions (except the ABC) declined since this question was asked last year. The major changes were a collapse in trust in Federal Parliament (-33%) and substantial declines in trust in the Commonwealth Public Service (-19%), the Reserve Bank (-18%), trade unions (-17%) and business groups (-16%).
Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in political parties (19%), Federal Parliament (34%), the High Court (67%), the Reserve Bank (57%), the Commonwealth Public Service (42%), trade unions (36%) and environment groups (43%).
Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had more trust in religious organisations (33%) and business groups (27%) but less trust in Federal parliament (17%), the ABC (46%), trade unions (14%) and environment groups (21%).