Govt Driving Away Kiwi Innovators And Scientists
'New Zealand's world leading crown research institutes are being left to dwindle, and New Zealand's best scientists are losing their jobs and leaving the country,' Labour science and innovation spokesperson Reuben Davidson said.
'National's decision to cut Callaghan Innovation has lost the country at least 60 skilled science jobs, meaning the expertise to commercialise great New Zealand innovations has evaporated.
'GNS Science has axed nearly 10 percent of its workforce, despite its important work on seismic and climate research. ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research – slashing eight percent of its workforce because of government cuts. NIWA was also proposing 13 percent of its workforce would have to go.
'Cuts to the Marsden Fund, which supports important research at universities, will mean less research in public health, nursing, law, education, Māori studies, and public policy.
'The Government has also closed the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and replaced it with a new, smaller fund, and decided not to award new funding through the Endeavour Fund in 2026.
'They've taken a total of $90 million out of grants and funds in Budget 2025. This is incredibly short-sighted, and gambles with New Zealand's technology future.
'National is happy to turn up to events like the Hi-Tech awards and congratulate winners when the cameras are rolling in Budget week, but behind the scenes they are cutting the funding that got lots of our best innovators there,' Reuben Davidson said.
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