Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Rhiannon for her question. The government believes that, in terms of negotiations between universities and their employees, it is the job of the universities and the unions that represent the workers to conduct those negotiations. The federal government has set up a system, through the Fair Work provisions, that allows those negotiations to take place. We encourage the parties to the various negotiations to continue their efforts to achieve a negotiated outcome.

The government believes that the best way of lifting wages and improving conditions for workers is through that enterprise bargaining process. We support the parties in that process. We certainly do not believe that the changes that have been made to the funding arrangements for the universities in any way inhibit the parties from conducting those negotiations. This government has significantly increased the amount of money provided to universities over the six years of the government. We continue to support the university sector and we continue to support the process that allows workers and, in this case, universities to engage in negotiations. We look forward to a successful negotiated outcome to these bargaining processes. (Time expired)