Lost in Melbourne: April 2011

I'm just popping in to say that I haven't forgotten about this blog, I'm just a bit preoccupied with a few things at the moment, but I have a whole host of photos and stories waiting for me to have a bit of free time to get them up here. It's a good thing we have an extra long weekend coming up!!

One of the things that has been occupying my time and my thoughts is the Discoveries Need Dollars campaign. The current government is looking at cutting funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) this budget. The figure being bandied about is $400million over 3 years, which is around a third of the current budget. Many are saying they've floated this massive figure to soften the blow of a lesser cut, but any cut is not acceptable.

I work in medical research and this is something that I feel strongly about. A cut in funding will not only set Australian research back by many years, it will send young researchers overseas. I was once a young researcher and I know how hard it is to find a job in Australia as it is. With even less money most of our bright young researchers will have to leave our shores.

We need MORE money, not less.

The figure of $400million is peanuts to big business and mining giants. Tell me again Australia why we don't want to tax these guys??

All of us have benefited from medical research - vaccinations, antibiotics, painkillers...

Not to mention all the work into diabetes, coeliac disease, cancer, malaria, etc that is currently occuring in Australia. We can't afford to lose these research programs.

Today I'm joining a rally to Protect Medical Research.

If you are in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney or Canberra, there are simultaneous rallies and I strongly urge you to join in. This is important!!