SCIENCE APPOINTMENTS

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:17): I have a supplementary question arising from the answer. I ask my supplementary wearing my historical SARDI tie. Given the minister's answers and praise for SARDI and the research officers, can the minister now rule out further cuts and merges to SARDI and the relationship the government is trying to nurture with Adelaide University?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:18): Absolutely not. I would not do that. Indeed, I have stated in this place before that we are actively pursuing negotiations with the university to look at amalgamation potential. That would create one of the largest and probably one of the most prestigious research and development centres in the Southern Hemisphere, and it would also open up enormous potential to provide greater leverage in relation to commonwealth funds.

This is something that we have publicly announced, that we are pursuing those negotiations, and it would absolutely be in the interests of primary industries if we were able to be successful in these negotiations. If the honourable member wanted to do something really useful and constructive, he would be assisting and supporting these negotiations, which, as I said, will hopefully bring about a state-of-the-art and one of the largest and potentially most prestigious research and development centres in the Southern Hemisphere.