This date in 2017  CMM covered an ANU poll on community attitudes to science, which found, 68 per cent of Australians are “more excited than concerned” by “new technologies” and 75 per cent believe the benefits of “technological progress” outweigh the risk. Plus 94 per cent thought “scientists and industry should cooperate more with each other.”

It was a poll with appeal for Scott Morrison, who likes universities, at least those where research generates jobs.

Thus he described Uni Newcastle last month, “as a university that’s very practical and understands the opportunities, whether it’s in science or medicine or in any other areas or fields of enquiry and research, and is raising up a workforce and a generation of people that can actually transform the region in which they’re living,” (CMM March 15).

Science Minister Melissa Price was quoted in Mr Morrison’s announcement yesterday making a similar point, “Curtin University and its partners will create new resources technologies, new STEM and mining jobs in critical regions – particularly in Western Australia – and new career paths.”

It’s a contrast with Malcolm Turnbull who was keen on high-tech innovation, which did not go down well with voters who thought AI meant job losses, (CMM September 20 2017).