Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

So what is meant by a substantial or a significant shift? In the minister’s earlier outline to the parliament about what the vice-chancellors or the universities would have to explain in terms of a changed agreement or a change to the number of fee-paying courses, there was reference to the word ‘substantial’. I am just wondering what ‘substantial’ means in the circumstance? I asked the same question earlier. If it has not been defined, that is okay. Is it five per cent, 10 per cent or is it a big change? Is it like space—very big—or is it just a little bit? What constitutes a significant shift or a substantial change in terms of the funding arrangements for universities when it comes to a change involving the amount of fee-paying courses on offer, or fee-paying courses within the cluster? I reiterate for the record that we are talking about the cluster.