Election scrap kicks off with little science

Immigration and support for 3% GDP target emerge as major demands

University groups and lobbyists are calling for more commitments to research, after political parties kicked off their campaigns for the 12 December election with speeches largely devoid of references to the sector.

With just weeks to go, a target of delivering spending of 3 per cent of GDP on R&D by 2030 is emerging as a key demand.