Christopher Pyne ‘fixed it’ but at what cost?

HE FAMOUSLY said he would fix it, and now it’s done. Sort of. So what exactly was the “surprise” Christopher Pyne promised taxpayers?

Question Time

YES, he actually did fix it.

While many enjoyed a giggle when Education Minister Christopher Pyne declared himself “The Fixer” during a now-infamous interview, he has backed up his confidence with a Budget result.

During aSky News interview in March, Mr Pyne repeatedly refused to reveal how he would fund scientific research jobs that were originally linked to the government’s university deregulation reforms.

While the government has not abandoned the reforms, they have been unable to pass the Senate, forcing Mr Pyne to find $150 million to keep the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy going.

Mr Pyne was accused of blackmail and holding jobs “hostage”, when he threatened to not extend funding for the strategy beyond June 30 if Senate cross-benchers did not pass his higher education reform legislation.

He later announced he had found a way to get the money, which was understandably met with skeptism.

‘I’ve cleared it away I’ve dealt with it. I’ve fixed it. I’m a fixer.’ Mr Pyne said during an interview in March.

“I fixed it by funding it in another way, which you will find out in the budget,” Mr Pyne said.

“Why can’t you tell us?” Sky News political editor David Speers asked.

“I want it to be a surprise for you,” Mr Pyne said.

With the release of the Budget, Mr Pyne’s confidence seems to have been justified, but at the expense of university spending.

It looks like Mr Pyne has managed to find $263 million by slashing the Sustainable Research Excellence program, which was established by a former Labor Government in 2010 to fund the indirect costs of research in universities such as libraries and computing centres.

Some of its funding will now go towards the strategy, which aims to produce research with commercial outcomes. However, the future of the strategy seems far from secure, and is only funded until mid-2017.

Originally published as Christopher Pyne ‘fixed it’ but at what cost?