🚀 go-pugleaf

I sent the following letter to the Canberra Times, in
response to their January 29 article.  It hasn't
been published to date (Feb 1).

***********

Andreas Dubbs (CT, January 29, p.3) says there was
"nothing irregular or untoward" about the $13M
Research Data Network Cooperative Research Centre.

In a letter to the Australian National Audit Office
(January 5) he says:

"In the case of the RDN-CRC, due to the obvious time
constraints, no external written referee reports
werer obtained but an advisory group of people with
suitable technical knowledge was established to
assess the proposals.  This represented a very
satisfactory alternative ..."

It does not seem so "very satisfactory" when you
consider the the number of advisory group members
who have a conflict of interest.  Tony Henshaw is
Commercialization Manager for the CSIRO Division of
Information Technology, a beneficiary of funding.
Professor Chris Barter of the University of Adelaide
even submitted his own proposal.

The chairperson of the advisory group, emeritus
Professor Ian Ross, has a close relationship with a
successful applicant, Professor Michael McRobbie,
Executive Director of the ANU's Centre for
Information Science Research.  Ross is a former
chairperson of the Centre, and is a current director
of ANUTECH P/L.

But we need not worry about conflict of interest.
We have the assurances of Dr Andreas Dubs, formerly
head of the ANUTECH Technology Marketing Division,
that there was "nothing irregular or untoward"!

As Assistant Secretary in charge of the Cooperative
Research Centres Branch of the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Dubs is currently
supervising the signing of contracts to bind the
next Government.  Isn't it time the Auditor-General
stepped in?