Australia: Political interference in climate change research

Not content with blocking a Freedom of Information Act request by the opposition Minister for the Climate Change a few weeks ago (see


This time, the political motive seems even more transparent. The Canberra Times reports that the recommendation was over-turned after pressure from the Prime Minister John Howard to support a rival bid led by Griffith University (Queensland), in order to bolster support for a Liberal electoral candidate (Steven Ciobo) in a key seat on Queensland