Of course, by privatising power generators they are getting rid of the levers they could use to achieve that (rather unambitious) goal.

We should actually be aiming for 100% renewable by 2020 and to go well beyond that in replacing transport?

Yes, both Labour and Nats are disingenuous to only refer to electrical energy. Oil consumption for transport is fossil fuel based,?

Yeah the PM cheerfully announced new fellowships – what he didn't mention was that the money for those came from old fellowships he scrapped.

This certainly seems true. Some of the inside anecdotes I've heard from friends about interactions between entities that you'd think should get along, like NIWA and the Met?

It?s more relevant in some sectors than others. Screen producers: it?s their job to Find Money to Do Stuff. Scientists and artists, not so much.

Do we? That seems to be a very strong argument in itself to scrap it. Last I looked 'administration' and 'scientific research' were not synonymous.

You could argue some staff in CRIs and tertiary institutions are the equivalent of the producers whose job is to secure the resources. Sadly, such "back-office" jobs are regarded as superfluous?

BUT what we have in NZ is scientists being asked to describe in detail how their?

For example, I've been asked to say what extra income my science will make for NZ in the next few years.

Trying to honestly answer this, I ask the relevant ministries what the total for?

None of the parties believe science and innovation is important.

The longest and most detailed answers came from National. However much of the detail was fluff. Where there was substance it was focussed?

That disappointment has led to a rather negative view of the details of their policies. For me it seems all a bit shuffling?

Bearing in mind I joined the DSIR and have been a scientist in a CRI?

For which I apologise. We and many other groups are doing really cool science. You don't want to get me started on the stuff we are discovering about branching in plants (besides until we get the paper?

Are you sure about that Bart? I readily admit I don't have the numbers to hand and am happy to be corrected, but my understanding has always been?

The apparent strategy for achieving this at?

Yup. Government funding of R&D is half OECD average. Overall funding for R&D in NZ is even worse but since it is very hard to change business funding for R&D I'm only really interested in what the government can actually do themselves. Since they have the power?

'economic forecasting'

Hmmm, not according to the most recent recent OECD figures, which I did finally manage to locate on the old MoRST site – in their scorecard here (table 2) and in the 'Igniting Potential' report here (p7). According to those we're clearly?

= guesswork based on existing data without knowledge of future trends.

yet other nations manage it just fine.

Where there is no doubt is the fact that the rest of the OECD world spend a shit load more government money on R&D. New Zealand is the outlier – at the bottom end. New Zealand suffered from the New Right insisting that?

It is/will be a biggie.

To be fair the 9 year Labour government had exactly the same attitude.

Rather than being led by successful science groups and responding to areas we are actually good at, it is a direction imposed by bureaucrats.

But hopefully, I think, "turned" from the "dark side" by?

Loving that?

Goes nicely with the John Key power bangle.
To muddle through where no muddler has muddled before, onwards and down.

Yup true of most sectors. No worries about IRL deserving input.

My only issue is still with the idea of predicting winners rather than simply (hah!) supporting those who can do great work regardless of what sector it happens to?

Even the wizards of venture capital have a hard job assessing the commercial impact of a discovery.

?To expect a researcher, or a research council committee, to make any worthwhile judgement – and make it before the work has even been done – is surely?

Bearing in mind I joined the DSIR and have been a scientist in a CRI throughout their existence, I respectfully disagree ...

Fair points here Bart, relative to the setting up of CRIs. I guess my point was that CRIs (for whatever reason) have grown to have a value for?

I do agree. Look it's great they are getting money. Basically there isn't a science sector in NZ that isn't starved of money.

I just hope they give the money to the good science groups?

Marketing would be a field day:
"Buff Boffins"
"Merry Quantum Physiques"
"Test Tube Babes"
"Buyer Chemistry"
"DeSIRe – A Lab of Love"
"Recherché Researchers"
"In their element..."
Not so much a Calendar
as a Periodic Table...

Or even teh blue tableau, if you will.

I think the OECD spend is a bit misleading ? from my (not so) ivory tower I see:

Universities for example, having to spend increasing amounts of money to get research funds.

Crown entities that used to fund primary research being starved of cash?

I'd argue that this is precisely the sort of business model that NZ needs to be aiming for in many situations.

We're a pair of small islands, containing very few people, sitting miles from anywhere. Tech is easily?

I see your point but New Zealand has an established track record in exporting the bi-products of interactions between sun, water and biomass.

I suspect there is?

So Buckley Systems is not a goer? They send tonnes of "value added" metal overseas. Tonnes of some of the biggest magnets around!

We consume over 500 tons of steel, 20 tons of aluminium and 65 tons of copper per month.

On the contrary, I would argue?

That does rather limit the options, though. To put it crudely: farm or fuck off :)

I'm sure there's a few coders, filmtechs, and from Matthew's link,?

I personally think it's an often overlooked and extremely underutilised option.

In the plant science field, some of our discoveries are best?

Residential Red lost to the Earth Quake and CERA are one thing. We have not looked at the loss of residential areas due to sea level rise.

I have seen the EQ as an oppitunity to step out of this looming disaster, but the Council?

Oh no, not acceptable, http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5947202/Lips-zipped-on-Cera-land-proposal
Mayor Bob Parker said?

Which, regrettably, are prone to extremely contagious & easily spread diseases.