Senator MARGETTS(10.15 a.m.) —A really interesting image is emerging of a model being a bit like a science fiction creature that becomes huge and very powerful. We have seen the examples of both ORANI and megABARE in recent times, where the model is used as a tool to beat people over the head. The publicly funded organisations—and, as we found out later, privately funded but directed by private interest as well—do not necessarily have to come up with these models by themselves: there are people working on models within the community. Surely one of the roles of such organisations is to seek out those who have alternative models within the community and give critiques of those as well. That is very important.

It is quite clear what the Greens (WA) view of this proposal for the Productivity Commission is but, if we are going to spend public money in propping up yet another major rationalist think-tank, the very least that we ought to do is to get them to work as a think-tank and not as a single-minded body in pursuit of a particular end no matter what the evidence may be. In the words of Shakespeare, `There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' Horatio ought to realise that he has to do some more work.