Science Minister Karen Andrews defends $150m NASA space deal

The PM’s $150m deal with NASA has been defended amid criticism from Labor.

Science Minister Karen Andrews. Picture: Getty Images

Science Minister Karen Andrews has defended Scott Morrison’s $150 million new space deal with NASA, amid criticism from Labor frontbenchers who say the record funding would be better spent on drought relief.

Ms Andrews told Sky News on Monday the investment would indirectly support farmers by helping to track cattle from space and by supporting the manufacturing industry through the creation of an additional 20,000 jobs.

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“We do put a lot of money into supporting our farmers and they need every single cent of the support that we’re giving them, and also that state governments and the community is providing to farmers,” Ms Andrews said. “They are doing it incredibly tough.”

“I think maybe we need to do some more work with the Australian public to make sure that they understand that each and every day, they use some of the technology from space. Every time we look at Google Maps that’s using technology from space. That technology is critical to our farmers and of course it will help support our manufacturing industries.”

It comes as opposition energy spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon on Monday morning lashed the government for not doing more to assist struggling farmers.

“I don’t think people in rural Australia would mind 150 million dollars being spent on a space mission If the government here in Australia was taking their problem seriously and putting substantial amounts of money into their pie as well,” Mr Fitzgibbon told Seven’s Sunrise.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek also weighed in to the debate, telling Nine’s Today show Barnaby Joyce had failed to write a single report while travelling around the country as the government’s Special Envoy for Drought Assistance and Recovery.

The former Nationals leader was appointed to the now-defunct role when Scott Morrison reshuffled his ministry after being elevated to prime minister in August last year.

“We’ve seen no report from Barnaby Joyce about his work,” she said. “Wouldn’t that money have been better spent helping people on the ground?”

She also criticised the government for letting farmers down.

“You cannot say that enough is being done in our country communities,” Ms Plibersek said. “People are giving up in despair and walking away from farms that have been in the family for generations.”

But Barnaby Joyce shot down the claims, telling Sunrise Labor had “got it wrong” on his contribution to the drought envoy role.

The former deputy prime minister said while he understood the concerns of those worried about the “incredible spend” on space research, the government was committed to farmers and had funnelled billions of dollars into drought relief.

He said space exploration had been an “incredible boon” to America, leading them to develop important technologies such as solar panels, microprocessors and the fireman suit.

“If we get the benefits of [new] technology, we can apply that into the future for a nation and make an immense benefit to this country,” Mr Joyce said.