Antinuclear

Universities can get tax-payer funding for a Bjorn Lomborg climate centre

Universities told to speak to Bjørn Lomborg if they want $4m in funding, Guardian, 4 June 15 
Senate estimates told government funding for consensus centre is still on the table after UWA pulled out due to backlash from staff and students Universities approaching the Department of Education about the $4m in government funding available for hosting Bjørn Lomborg’s consensus centre have been told they should talk to Lomborg himself.

Since the University of Western Australia pulled out of a $4m deal with the federal government to host the centre, the department had “had some informal approaches from universities who might be interested and suggested to them and Dr Lomborg they might want to talk”, the associate secretary of the department, Robert Griew, told senate estimates on Wednesday night.

Labor senator Kim Carr asked “so if a university wants to take this up they should talk to Dr Lomborg?”

“Yes, but of course they could talk to us as well,” Dr Griew replied.

Carr, a long-term minister in Labor governments, said he had “never seen anything like this before where the government would hand over $4m … and hopefully find someone to take it up.”

The committee heard the $4m had been found from consolidated revenue in the May 2014 budget, but not announced at that time, and that the education department had first heard about it from the department of prime minister and cabinet.

The department had spoken to Dr Lomborg last July and he advised them “he was in discussion with a number of universities”. Dr Lomborg had been advised to “speak to vice chancellors directly” to find a host institution for the $4m centre.

After a backlash from staff and students when Guardian Australia revealed the $4m government deal to host the “Australia Consensus Centre” UWA handed back the funding and dropped its connection with Lomborg.

The education minister, Christopher Pyne, vowed to find another university to host the centre and said he was seeking legal advice about a decision by the university to renege on the funding agreement it had signed with the commonwealth.

Griew said legal advice had been provided to the minister but no legal action had been taken against UWA……..http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/03/universities-told-to-speak-to-bjrn-lomborg-if-they-want-4m-in-funding?CMP=share_btn_tw

June 4, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming