The Australian Greens will move amendments in the Senate to strike out Government plans to cut R&D incentives for large companies and instead put in place quarterly payments for small and medium size businesses eligible for a R&D tax incentive refund.

The Tax Laws Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2013 is currently before the Senate and crossbench Senators will determine its passage.

“Tony Abbott is an economic wrecking ball and these cuts to research and development incentives prove it,” said Adam Bandt MP, Greens Research spokesperson.

Responding to reports that the Abbott government may threaten to slash to research funding in a bid to advance its university cuts agenda, Australian Greens research spokesperson and Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt, said the Greens won’t give in to blackmail.

“If Tony Abbott threatens cuts to research funding, he will be met with the mother of all protests,” said Mr Bandt.

"Australia’s future depends on secure and adequate funding for research."

The government's plan to make the Medical Research Future Fund contingent on the GP payment dooms the fund to failure and an alternative strategy is needed, said Greens Deputy Leader and Finance and Research spokesperson, Adam Bandt.

"The Prime Minister and Finance Minister are dooming the Medical Research Future Fund to failure by linking it to the GP fee," said Mr Bandt.

"The GP co-payment won't pass Parliament, so the government needs a ‘Plan B' if it is serious about establishing the medical research fund."

Cuts to the CSIRO that will undermine research into the Ebola virus must be reversed, Greens Acting Leader Adam Bandt said today.

The Greens will move to reverse the cuts when Parliament resumes in less than two weeks.

The $111 million in CSIRO cuts will affect a number of infectious disease researchers at the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, which is currently researching the deadly Ebola virus.

"Tony Abbott's Budget is toxic and these latest cuts to Australia's only facility for Ebola research show why," Mr Bandt said today.

Australian Greens Leader and Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne says she firmly supports CSIRO workers who are stopping work today to protest job cuts in the Abbott government's brutal budget.

"It's no wonder Australia's scientists are up in arms and I'm glad that here in Hobart that they're prepared to speak out against this backward attack from a backward government on the research that's helping Australia address 21st Century challenges," Senator Milne said.

Deputy Greens Leader and Science & Research spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, today said that Simon McKeon was right to implicitly criticise Tony Abbott’s deep funding cuts to research and to call for an alternative means of establishing a medical research fund in his speech to the National Press Club today.

“Tony Abbott needs to accept he will not get his GP co-payment through the Senate, so he should separate the medical research fund from his GP fee," said Mr Bandt.

"As Simon McKeon said, it would be tragic if funding for medical research wasn't boosted.

Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt says the Greens will fight cuts to science and research in the Budget. Mr Bandt also said the Greens would fight any attempt by Tony Abbott to blackmail the Parliament with false claims about a multi-billion medical research fund and that of the proposed $7 GP fee, only 17c would go to medical research.

"Half a billion dollars in cuts to CSIRO and other research programs will hurt the economy," Mr Bandt said today.

Greens Deputy Leader and Science spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that Tony Abbott is a threat to Australia’s prosperity. 

“If Tony Abbott’s Commission of Audit is a front for cuts to CSIRO’s budget of 15-20%, as CSIRO believes, Australia’s prosperity will suffer,” said Mr Bandt. 

“Australia depends on research and research depends on secure, long-term funding. 

Greens Deputy Leader and Science & Research spokesperson Adam Bandt MP and Higher Education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon, today said the Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, needs to Keep It Clever. 

“Mr Pyne appears to be suffering a case of cognitive dissonance,” said Mr Bandt. 

“He is talking up our universities and says that he backs the Universities Australia ‘Keep It Clever’ campaign but at the same time the Abbott Government is lining up higher education and research for funding cuts.