Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move Greens amendment (1) on sheet 2469:

(1) Schedule 2, item 10, page 8 (after line 21), at the end of Division 2, add:

11A Review of the Board

(1) In the financial year beginning on 1 July 2026, the Minister must cause to be conducted an independent review of the following:

(a) whether the functions of the Board are appropriate;

(b) whether the size and membership of the Board are appropriate.

(2) The persons undertaking the review must give the Minister a written report of the review.

This amendment requires an independent review of the appropriateness of the ARC board's functions, size and membership to be conducted in the financial year starting 1 July 2026. This bill makes important and significant changes to the operation of the ARC, the key one being removing the minister's veto and the establishment of an ARC board to approve research funding, to pursue a range of new objectives and to be representative and diverse.

Given the nature of these changes—and we have had discussions with the government—a review after two years of the implementation of the bill does seem appropriate. This amendment provides an important oversight and review of the board to ensure that it is functioning as intended and to identify ways that it can be improved. We envisage the review would cover whether the board functions, functions independently without ministerial interference and achieves its objectives, including to support universities to attract and retain academic researchers and to promote quality academic jobs, amongst others. Given the history of political interference in the ARC by the coalition, this amendment ensures that this is an independent review which provides a report to the minister, and I do urge the minister to release the report publicly to ensure transparency. Again, I do want to thank Minister Clare and his office for working with us on this.