It’s disheartening to see that previous governments allowed our scientific funding to devolve into support for projects that border on superstition and pseudoscience.
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An example recently is the allocation of over $4 million to what was officially termed the “sonic tapestries of rejuvenation and well-being.” This project involved the bizarre practice of playing sperm whale noises in forests to combat plant diseases like myrtle rust and kauri dieback. Such funding, awarded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment under the National Science Challenge, was a misdirection of resources that should have been dedicated to rigorous, evidence-based research.
Upon taking office, the Coalition Government faced a dire fiscal situation where spending had spiralled without corresponding improvements in public services. In Budget 2024, action was taken to discontinue the National Science Challenge, saving $173.38 million. This was part of a broader $486 million savings process at the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, led by David Seymour.
Our approach with the Marsden Fund has also been recalibrated to ensure it supports genuine scientific inquiry rather than ventures into activism or identity politics. The Fund had previously awarded $300,000 to examine how New Zealanders are using dating apps, $861,000 for research on linking the celestial spheres to end-of-life experiences, and $853,000 to propose Treaty-aligned tax systems. Science funding should be about advancing human knowledge through empirical methods, not about endorsing spiritual ideas or promoting ideological agendas.
It’s not just about cutting costs but about reorienting our scientific endeavours towards what truly benefits New Zealanders. Taxpayer money should be invested in scientific endeavours that have the potential to grow our economy, or in essential services like education and health, particularly through funding bodies like Pharmac to deliver life-saving medicines.
ACT is committed to rediscovering the value of universal knowledge systems such as the scientific method, and the free and open contest of ideas. Forcing students, academics and scientists to work within the framework of unscientific, politicised, indigenous knowledge systems is not the answer. Not only does it diminish the value of research, it also pushes the best and the brightest from around the world away from New Zealand by forcing them to view everything through a cultural or ethnic lens rather than a scientific one.
This shift is not just about saving money but about restoring integrity to our science community, ensuring New Zealand remains a hub for leading researchers and innovators who prioritise empirical truth over cultural or ethnic narratives. The journey back to a science-led society is critical, and we are on that path, while ensuring that the funds of hardworking taxpayers are used where they can make the most significant impact. -Dr Parmjeet Parmar