Greens reject Abbott research cuts and spin
Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt says the Greens will fight cuts to science and research in the Budget. Mr Bandt also said the Greens would fight any attempt by Tony Abbott to blackmail the Parliament with false claims about a multi-billion medical research fund and that of the proposed $7 GP fee, only 17c would go to medical research.
"Half a billion dollars in cuts to CSIRO and other research programs will hurt the economy," Mr Bandt said today.
"The Greens strongly support increased funding for medical research, but it shouldn't come from the pockets of hospitals and the already sick."
"We're spending $2bn a year subsidising cheap petrol for wealthy miners and we should put that into medical research instead."
"Tony Abbott is trying to con people when he says there's a $20bn research fund. There is not $20bn going into medical research."
"Tony Abbott is ripping $10bn from hospitals and the pockets of the already sick, parking it in a savings account and then giving less than $250m of the interest payments to medical research."
"Of the $7 GP fee you'll have to pay, only 17c will go to medical research."
"Let's just put the money directly into medical research without cutting hospital funds or making people pay more to get well."
"Mr Abbott's attempt to use medical research to blackmail the Parliament into supporting attacks on Medicare will fail."