We must invest in the hard sciences—in the health sciences and applied sciences. But we must invest equally in the humanities and social sciences. If the balance is so out of kilter that we aren't able to tackle the major social problems facing our society, and we aren't doing the fundamental research that helps us to understand the demographic—the civic infrastructure, aboriginal issues, all of the range of social problems that face our society in the fullest sense—then it seems to me we're failing each other. We need to continue the high investment in all the sciences, and we need to increase the investment in the humanities and social sciences.
On October 16th, 2006. See this statement in context.