Tuesday, 16 July 2024 10:25

'Science' spend

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: The Marsden Fund used to be reserved for top-tier research funding but now stands accused of burning public funds on PC identity politics crap.

The Fund says it "Supports excellence in science, engineering, maths, social sciences and the humanities... by providing grants for research".

The Marden money is all from the government (i.e. taxpayers).

Last year, that funding amounted to $83.5 million - almost exactly what's needed to fund the 13 cancer drugs that we couldn't, but apparently now can, afford.

The Taxpayer's Union says the rot set in at the Fund following a 2012 amendment to the funding criteria, to include "humanities", diverting funds to pet projects of "tofu-munching, climate-striking, purple-haired academics" that don't bring any return to taxpayers.

More like this

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of transparency by the Crown-owned entity - spurred by its refusal to release information under the OIA about its conduct around Cyclone Gabrielle and the Hawke's Bay flooding.

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the banking structure massively favours lending to housing, at the expense of the productive sectors, particularly agribusiness.

Smugness

OPINION: Just as they did in 2016 when Trump beat Clinton, liberals in the media are crying "how did this happen?"

Snail mail

OPINION: About as productive as a politician's taxpayer-funded trip to Hawaii, as cost-effective as an OSPRI IT project, and as smart as the power-company pylon worker, the Hound gives you the NZ Post business strategy:

Leaky waka

OPINION: Was the ASB Economic Weekly throwing shade on Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr when reporting on his speech in Washington recently?

Featured

New Image turns 40!

Auckland manufacturer and distributor of colostrum-based supplements, New Image International, celebrated its 40th anniversary this month.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter