The conservatives have been vetoing research grants since the ‘90s

Critics of former education minister Stuart Robert vetoing ARC recommended research grants point to predecessors Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham doing the same – and way back Brendan Nelson did as well (three grants in 2004).

But an excellent analysis by the Parliamentary Library points to an even older example. Back in 2006 then Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone told a Senate  committee hearing she had a memory of vetoing ARC grants – which must have been when she was education minister (March 1996-October ’97).

“There is no point in sending projects to a minister for approval if you mean: ‘Rubber-stamp them.’ Of course you have advisory bodies, and you want to listen to them, but that does not rule you out of having any say. Otherwise, we would simply give the money to a separate body and say: ‘Here. Do with it what you want. Don’t bother coming and reporting to us. We don’t care. It’s taxpayers’ money.’ That is a ludicrous proposition. There will be occasions, hopefully, when a minister will override advice they are given, otherwise the Public Service is running the country and an election is not worth having, because it is just a joke. The executive is a joke; parliament is a joke, if that is what happens,”  she said (February 15 2016).

In opposition, then shadow education minister Tanya Plibersek committed to not overruling ARC recommendations (CMM January 20).