Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Rice. DFAT has been engaging in a number of stakeholder consultations—I think over 60 in total—following the introduction of the bill, which includes with local government through August and September, a number of representatives of local government, largely the peak bodies, and a number of city councils themselves. In terms of university consultations, they have been part of that. These issues that you have raised have been discussed as part of those consultations—again through peak organisations as well as others who are on my list here. Universities Australia itself, for example, has met with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 4, 9 and 30 September, 7 October and 13 November. The Group of Eight has also met with DFAT on two occasions. There have been a number of other consultations, which I can provide to you.

I want to repeat what I said earlier today in the chamber when we were discussing this matter, particularly in relation to the limited number of arrangements which will be captured by this legislation: it's only arrangements between Australian public universities and foreign governments or foreign entities that will be required to be notified. In terms of institutional autonomy, that includes foreign universities that are an agency or a department of a foreign government—for example, a military university that forms part of a country's department of defence or those where a foreign government has substantial control over the university's internal governance, education and academic staff. That is a limited group. We've defined institutional autonomy in that context so as to assist with this. The work that will be done by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the taskforce will be very much focused on familiarising state, territory and local governments and universities with the sorts of issues which are to be captured. You asked earlier today about an example, if I recall correctly. That would be a minor issue which would not be captured. It would be exempt under the changes that I spoke about this morning.