Medical Research Future Fund at risk of being another Gonski

While the implementation has slipped a year under the Coalition, and the budget is down slightly against the original positon in the forward estimates, we are encouraged from its recent statements that the Liberals and Nationals will work to keep the implementation on track.

The health and medical research sector has also welcomed positive sentiment about the MRFF from both Labor and The Greens, and hopes to see concrete announcements throughout the campaign about their proposed funding envelopes, mechanisms and timelines.

There are, of course, a myriad of different possible results from this election – on a seat by seat, party by party, and house by house basis – but Australia could do worse than have one of the results be a multi-party, funded and sustainable commitment to the Medical Research Future Fund.

The opportunity here is to form broad consensus that defends and future-proofs Australia's current health system and future health economy, and if we don't seize that opportunity, the fund is at risk of becoming a political football, or worse, a casualty.

Other countries are already reaping the benefits of initiatives such as the Wellcome Trust in the UK, which has funded billions of dollars' worth of medical research projects over the past years, and Australia needs to be there seizing similar life-saving, economy building opportunities.

Research Australia is an alliance of 160 health and medical research organisations, and on behalf of the sector we call on all parties to commit to the policy, to both agree to, and commit to, suitable funding mechanisms, and to make it happen.

Every year it is delayed is another year that promising research projects are delayed, and every dollar diverted from it is a dollar diverted from Australia's potential for new discoveries that save lives, improve quality of life, and form the basis of our future economy.

We can't let the politics of politics get in the way of the Medical Research Future Fund, and the promise of a healthier Australia. This is an initiative that is too important to fail.