Dennis Jensen says funding medical research while cutting money for science research is incoherent

THE Government wants to set up a Medical Research Future Fund at the same time as cutting money for science research, and one of its own isn’t happy.

New Liberal MP Dr Dennis Jensen, Member for WA Federal seat of Tangney, giving his Maiden Speech in the House of Representatives of Parliament House in Canberra.

A LIBERAL backbencher has slammed as “incoherent” his government’s decision to take money away from science research while at the same time as setting up a Medical Research Future Fund.

MP Dennis Jensen has voiced his concerns in the party room, but also hasn’t been afraid to speak publicly, delivering a speech in Parliament’s Federation Chamber last night.

“The thing that concerns me is the lack of coordination,” he repeated to reporters as he arrived at Parliament House this morning.

“That you can have a massive spend on medical science but not on other sciences.”

The Member for Tangney, a former scientist, argued “quite frankly it’s incoherent”.

$5 from the Coalition’s announced $7 co-payment to see the doctor will go towards a $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund, in the hope of finding cures for dementia, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer.

That’s at the same time as the government has cut funding to the CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the MP claimed.

Expressing doubt about the announced fund for medical research, Dr Jensen asked how the money will be spread.

“Is this funding to medical research going to be general, or specifically targeted at cancer, Alzheimer’s and the like? How are we going to source those researchers?

“They don’t grow on trees, and the training required is long and arduous, and very long lead times are required,” he said in his speech.

Inventions such as X-rays and CT scans were created when scientists were given the chance to explore their curiosity, the MP explained.

After being asked by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to provide recommendations some months ago, he said he could not see any improvement, “in fact the reverse would appear to be the case”.

Dr Jensen, who spoke out against the government’s decision not to appoint a Science Minister, also disagrees with his government’s decision to buy Joint Strike Fighters.

Originally published as Dennis Jensen says funding medical research while cutting money for science research is incoherent