PSA MEDIA RELEASE
March 11, 2009
For Immediate Use
PSA meeting AgResearch to discuss proposed merger with Lincoln

The Public Service Association will meet tomorrow with AgResearch management to discuss the crown research institute's proposed merger with Lincoln University.

"We have 500 members working at AgResearch and we have a lot of questions about the proposed merger," says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

"The chief executive is talking about job losses and we need to talk to him about that."

"We also want to know what's driving the proposed merger and how it will enhance the work done by AgResearch staff."

"Our concern is that the government already has a poor record when it comes to funding research and development," says Richard Wagstaff.

The government has ditched the 15 cents in the dollar research and development tax credit and scrapped the Fast Forward Fund aimed at promoting research to help food and farming.

"This leaves us worried about the government's commitment to funding the important work that AgResearch does which is vital to our pastoral farming industry that generates 35% of our exports," says Richard Wagstaff.

"What AgResearch and the other seven crown research institutes need is more stable funding so they can focus on research that helps drive key areas of our economy such as farming, fishing and horticulture."

"Our members want to know if forcing crown research institutes to merge with universities is another part of the government's short-sighted cost cutting."

"This will hinder rather than help our efforts to climb out of the recession," says Richard Wagstaff.

ENDS

© Scoop Media