Appointment of Minister urged

Press, 30 May 1989, Page 24

Appointment of Minister urged

The Government’s reform of national science structures may fail unless it immediately appoints a senior Minister to the vacant science portfolio, according to the incoming president of the Royal Society, Professor Jack Dodd.

The new Ministry of Science was to be running by October 1, but there was no Minister overseeing the implementation process, said Professor Dodd, emeritus professor of physics at Otago University. An implementation group had been established with representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, D.5.1.R., M.A.F., the Ministry of Forestry, the State Services Commission, Treasury, and the departments of Education and Health. The chairman of the Science and Technology Advisory Committee was however, the only nonpublic servant in the group, said Professor Dodd.

“The absence of adequate representation from the universities, the private sector, and the nonGovernment scientific community, plus the lack of a senior Minister to provide firm leadership, invites speculation that Government departments may unduly influence the reform process,” he said. The group contained competing interests and lacked wide representation, and could have difficulty reaching consensus or consulting more widely in its tight time-frame.

The Government’s aims, announced seven weeks ago, could therefore be compromised, which would be tragic for New Zealand science, said Professor Dodd.

If that happened, no amount of tinkering would remedy the situation, he said.

“The Royal Society believes a strong Ministry of Science providing independent policy advice to a senior Minister is essential if science in New Zealand is to flourish.”