Policy Forum Pod

Last month, our podcast to mark National Science Week in Australia took a look at how scientists can make themselves heard by policymakers. This week, we’re turning the tables. We hear from two senior figures in Australia's policy-making process about what it’s like to be at the pointy end of policy creation and formulation, and receiving input – wanted and unwanted – from scientists. Hosts Bob Cotton and Sue Regan chat to Ian Chubb, former Chief Scientist of Australia, and Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Chief of Staff to Tasmanian Senator Lisa Singh. They discuss how to get evidence and data on the desk of a politician, the future of science in policymaking, and Ian’s personal story of putting his life in the hands of an experimental cancer treatment. Listen here: Ian Chubb has had a long and distinguished career as a neuroscientist and an academic. He has served as Vice-Chancellor of both Flinders University and the Australian National University, and has been made a Companion of the Order of Australia. He served