Dear ,

In January, the Liberals vetoed six peer-reviewed research projects recommended for funding by the Australian Research Council (ARC). This was not a first by any means – in the last four years alone, Liberal ministers have vetoed seventeen individual projects, silencing independent research from multiple fields.

Political interference has no place in research funding. That’s why I have a bill that would remove ministerial discretion over the approval of research grants administered by the ARC – and today, I’m so pleased to let you know that my motion to refer this bill to an inquiry was supported unanimously by the Senate!

This inquiry is the first step towards removing this nonsensical, harmful veto power. By opening the floor to university communities, academics, researchers and unions, the Senate will be forced to confront the real-world impacts the veto power has.

Researchers and universities are absolutely fed-up with this targeted political interference in research funding, so I’m really looking forward to hearing from them on this critical issue. Frankly, for too long, their voices have been ignored.

I have been challenging this veto power for nearly four years, so it’s rewarding to see the Senate take a step in the right direction. As I said when I introduced my bill, the true test of academic freedom is that it must be free from political interference, no matter who is in government. Grants should only ever be based on an independent rigorous assessment process.

The inquiry has been referred to the Senate’s Education and Employment Legislation Committee and we’ll have more information on what’s next in the coming days. Until then, thank you for your support of academic freedom.

Warm regards,
Mehreen

Dr Mehreen Faruqi
Greens Spokesperson for Education