The fact that we don't know where the next medical research breakthrough will come from, is not any kind of reason for research to be government-funded. It is no more valid to average the amount paid per taxpayer, than to account for it by saying that a certain number of taxpayers will be paying for nothing but that. If it's not justified in the first place, it doesn't matter how little it is per person.

You haven't given any reason for thinking that voluntarily funded research would not produce better results on a dollar for dollar basis; or that people, if free to choose, would not fund medical research to the same amount; or that if they chose not to, that the alternative employments to which they would put their funds would not be more socially beneficial than your preferred and imposed schemes; or how you would know any of these things. Mere airy conjecture? - not good enough.

The first thing we should do is to take the funding away from climate astrologers and give it to real scientist. If we stopped this bad joke we would not only help the environment but might achieve more in medical breakthrough.

Quite frankly I am perfectly satisfied to pay both wages and a very substantial amount towards resources for research in this country- certainly that's money better spent than on religious chaplains at public schools.

Here you go individual,

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/about/jobs/reference/enterprise_agreement_2010-11_final.pdf

Salary tables begin on page 38.

I really would not want medical research to be cut either, but I have seen this game played before. The powers that be will want their pound of flesh from somewhere, so they may just increase planned cuts in other areas of research. I know people like runner are entirely comfortable with that, but I'm not.

What an excellent cause. Some of the comments here exemplify the current trend towards devaluation, if not outright war against, science. Unsurprisingly, those who are on record here as being most ignorant about science are those who question the value of medical research, along with those who don't think governments should fund anything except big business.

For those in Brisbane this coming Tuesday 19 April, there will be a rally in King George Square at 12 noon.

http://www.discoveriesneeddollars.org/home/

I do get a bit sick of academics who believe we owe then a comfortable living.

Here's an example.

I ran into a bloke I was quite friendly with at Uni. After a while he must have thought I'd be sympathetic.

He had stayed on & become an academic, & was complaining that his lifestyle had been stuffed up, when they had refused to continue financing his research project.

He had organised his project so he could fulfill his teaching duties & his research by attending only on Tuesday, & Wednesday. Very comfortable I would think.

With this organisation he had sold his Sydney home, & moved to his retirement to be home, in Batemans Bay. He stayed with his daughter in Sydney on Tuesday night. It worked beautifully.

This was now ruined. When I asked him where he expected to get with his research, he admitted he had realised that it was a blind alley a year ago, but had expected to still get funding.

He stated, "hell, I've only got 3 years to go, they could have let me muddle on for that long, couldn't they". "It is so difficult living in the bay, & having to travel up more often".

He was genuinely surprised that I did not offer any sympathy for his predicament.

I wonder how many are doing something similar. After all they are the elite, & should receive special treatment, from the peasent tax payers.