Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I was not going to say anything but of course I have been provoked by the minister, Senator Carr. Briefly, in relation to the press release from the Group of Eight, it is a strange thing that the Group of Eight and, indeed, Universities Australia were primary participants in the development of these national governance protocols. Why? Because university governance in the past has been very poor.

It is no surprise that university vice-chancellors want fewer and fewer strictures and fewer accountability mechanisms. I am not surprised to hear that from the Group of Eight or indeed from Universities Australia. If I were a vice-chancellor I would want less accountability too. But our duty here in the Australian Senate is to look after the public’s interest, not just the universities’ interests. The Senate should support the opposition’s amendment.