In a Senate Committee hearing yesterday Labor’s Kim Carr invited witnesses to consider,

“the theoretical possibility that ministers, being responsible to parliament, under our system of government be obliged to act on information that is not known to the agency, despite the best intentions of the expert panel and the peer review processes or even the administration of the Australian Research Council … there might be grounds on security or criminal intelligence that requires the minister to intervene.”

As a way of protecting researchers, “this bill is not politically viable” he said.

It was “theoretical,” he repeated, adding he knew of no grant that had been rejected on security grounds but his point will resonate with the next minister, whoever that is.