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1. Increase Australian Scientific Research Funding 
In 2006, the then incumbent government cut CSIRO's already strained funding, causing jobs to be lost and research and development to slow. The CSIRO has been noted for such achievements as AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopy), gene splicing technology and the polymer banknote.
Although such achievements may be significant, Australia is behind the rest of the developed world in some areas. For example, Australia successfully built and opened their first synchrotron very recently. Prior to the construction of this facility, Australian scientists were required to travel all the way to America to run experiments that necessitated the use of a synchrotron. Other countries have had similar facilities since the 1950s.
Another example, Australia generates over 75% of its electricity from coal, and is the largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita in the world. Approximately 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are produced by Australia each year through electricity generation. We have only one nuclear power plant, which is used for research, yet have 30% of the worlds nuclear fuel reserves. Renewable sources of energy only contribute 7% of the electricity to the grid.
The European Union are targeting to invest 3% of their GDP (which totals US$15 trillion), some US$450 billion into scientific research and development per year by 2010.
Australia invests AU$940 million per year in total on scientific research, just 0.09% of our US$1 trillion GDP. This is a pitiful amount compared to most nations.
Not only does CSIRO struggle with their low funding, they also have had to defend against high cost lawsuits brought upon them by such companies as Microsoft, Dell, and Apple who do not want to pay royalties for the use of wireless network technologies in their products, a patent for which was filed by CSIRO in the early 1990s.
Furthermore, if one were to look up countries who have space agencies, they would find that Australia has not achieved human spaceflight, nor do they have space launch capabilities. Australia were once at the forefront in this area, with Woomera being a premier rocket launch facility in the 1950s and 60s.
We spend $26 billion a year on defence, most of which is unnecessary, yet almost nothing on science.
Australia is falling behind, and desperately needs to catch up. A positive future for Australia requires a strong emphasis on science.
2. Canada's Contribution in International Aid
The United Nations estimates that when all 22 countries that signed the agreement meet the 0.7% goal, the resulting $195 billion each year will be enough to effectively end hunger and extreme poverty in the world. Let us see where all the countries stand in their contribution:
2006 International Aid Donated
COUNTRY Aid as % of income
How close to the 0.7% goal
Sweden 1.03 Already reached goal
Luxembourg 0.89 Already reached goal
Norway 0.89 Already reached goal
Netherlands 0.81 Already reached goal
Denmark 0.80 Already reached goal
Ireland 0.53 Scheduled for 2012
United Kingdom 0.52 Scheduled for 2013
Belgium 0.50 Scheduled for 2010
Austria 0.48 Scheduled for 2015
France 0.47 Scheduled for 2012
Switzerland 0.39 No schedule yet
Finland 0.39 Scheduled for 2010
Germany 0.36 Scheduled for 2014
Spain 0.32 Scheduled for 2012
Canada 0.30 No schedule yet
Australia 0.30 No schedule yet
New Zealand 0.27 No schedule yet
Japan 0.25 No schedule yet
Portugal 0.21 Scheduled for 2015
Italy 0.20 Scheduled for 2015
United States 0.17 No schedule yet
Greece 0.16 Scheduled for 2015
Source: OECD, www.poverty.com
The following petition has been extracted from http://www.poverty.com/letters/canada.html. Some additions have been made.
3. Canada's Contribution in International Aid
The United Nations estimates that when all 22 countries that signed the agreement meet the 0.7% goal, the resulting $195 billion each year will be enough to effectively end hunger and extreme poverty in the world. Let us see where all the countries stand in their contribution:
2006 International Aid Donated
COUNTRY Aid as % of income
How close to the 0.7% goal
Sweden 1.03 Already reached goal
Luxembourg 0.89 Already reached goal
Norway 0.89 Already reached goal
Netherlands 0.81 Already reached goal
Denmark 0.80 Already reached goal
Ireland 0.53 Scheduled for 2012
United Kingdom 0.52 Scheduled for 2013
Belgium 0.50 Scheduled for 2010
Austria 0.48 Scheduled for 2015
France 0.47 Scheduled for 2012
Switzerland 0.39 No schedule yet
Finland 0.39 Scheduled for 2010
Germany 0.36 Scheduled for 2014
Spain 0.32 Scheduled for 2012
Canada 0.30 No schedule yet
Australia 0.30 No schedule yet
New Zealand 0.27 No schedule yet
Japan 0.25 No schedule yet
Portugal 0.21 Scheduled for 2015
Italy 0.20 Scheduled for 2015
United States 0.17 No schedule yet
Greece 0.16 Scheduled for 2015
Source: OECD, www.poverty.com
The following petition has been extracted from http://www.poverty.com/letters/canada.html. Some additions have been made.