AN OPEN letter to Michael McCormack.
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We have many unanswered questions and we have some new ones.
We understand that the CEO of CSIRO (Megan Clark) gave you convincing reasons why the CSIRO in Griffith should close down.
My grand-dad moved onto his farm near the research station in 1915. My oldest uncle worked at the research station and then went home to work for his Dad. The village of Griffith was established that year.
It grew almost continuously for 92 years, it was such a wonderful progressive place. 1924 was a banner year, which marked the opening of the CSIRO there.
Griffith and surrounding areas have degraded since 2007 and the anticipated closure is something which we will fight with all of the energy and logic which we can muster.
A recent copy of The Land had a heading "Budget blamed for CSIRO staff cuts".
It included: "Mr McCormack said the decision which could see 10 CSIRO employees in his electorate lose their jobs was an internal decision made by the organisation across several months and was unrelated to the budget."
In relation to budget we have a plan for parity pricing for Valencia oranges which would add an additional $300m per annum in the citrus regions.
Adrian Piccoli and Barnaby Joyce are opposed to the plan.
Responses from you and Ian Macfarlane are overdue. If both of you oppose them we have three questions for you:
1. If the CSIRO cuts are not budget related what was the reason given by the CEO which convinced you that the cuts were essential?
2. As the Member for Riverina why would you oppose a $300m per annum gain for the region?
3. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance why not use that amount to help you and Finance counter our claim that the way industry and agriculture are going that it will be impossible to return the Australian budget to surplus by 2016?
Jean McClung, Peter Katsoolis and Brian Mills
Griffith