Bills

Statutes Amendment (Universities) Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 1 March 2017.)

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (12:02): I would like to thank the honourable members who have contributed to the debate on this bill and note that the opposition will be supporting the passage of this legislation. The nature of the relationship between state governments and universities is complex.

Universities are of enormous importance to state economies. They train a high proportion of the workforce, they produce research that advances human knowledge and often generates commercialisation opportunities of economic and employment significance. They educate the future leaders of industry, labour and the professions. They have educated many of the people who sit in this chamber. They bring thousands of students from overseas to be educated here, students who not only represent a big part of our economy but internationalise us while they are here and remain connected with us when they return home.

Our universities have educated political and business leaders around the world, and in nearly every country we can find people who have been educated by our universities, making life better for others as doctors, nurses, teachers and many other professionals. South Australia without our universities would be unthinkable, yet much of government interaction with these institutions is via the federal government. It is that government that defines how universities can charge fees and makes a large contribution to them. It is that government that manages quality assurance for all universities in Australia. It is that level of government that largely manages research funding mechanisms.

Each of our universities is in active competition with all other world-class universities for the best researchers, the best teachers and the best students. What we all want in South Australia is for our universities to thrive. It is in that context that the requests from the Flinders University and the University of Adelaide for changes to their acts were considered by the South Australia government. They had each formed the view that their councils would operate more effectively if the overall size of the membership were reduced to be close to the size of the council at the University of South Australia.

Given the reasonableness of the nature of the request, the consistency with the more recently created public university in South Australia, the consistency with the Universities Australia Voluntary Code of Best Practice for the Governance of Australian Universities and the maintenance, in essence, of the proportions of the membership drawn from the student body, the staff body and external members, the government has no reason to object to the request.

I recognise that there is some concern about this change from those who represent students and staff at each university. I acknowledge that this concern comes from a genuine desire to have constructive members of the two councils, who are drawn from the universities themselves. Recognising the importance of this matter for each university community, I asked both what form of communication and consultation had occurred, and I have received correspondence from the Vice Chancellor of Flinders University and the Chancellor of the University of Adelaide about the manner in which they have chosen to undertake that process.

Being satisfied that the universities had made this request for an act change after careful deliberation, and that the student and staff bodies of the universities are now aware of the proposed changes, I see no reason to delay or refuse the request. I therefore commend the bill to the house.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clauses 1 to 15 passed.

Clause 16.

The CHAIR: We have two amendments in schedule (1) in the name of the Minister for Higher Education and Skills. Can we move amendments Nos 1 and 2 together? Do you wish to speak to them as well?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Would you like me to speak in order to explain them?

Ms Chapman: Yes.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I move:

Amendment No 1 [HiEdSkills–1]—

Page 7, line 35 [clause 16, inserted subsection (1)(d)]—After 'committee' insert:

(which consists of the Chancellor and 6 other persons, 3 of whom are appointed by the Chancellor and 3 by the presiding member of the Graduate Association (but at least 3 members of the selection committee must be graduates of the University) in accordance with guidelines determined by the Council)

Amendment No 2 [HiEdSkills–1]—

Page 8, after line 12—After the present contents of clause 16 (to be designated as subclause (1)) insert:

(2) Section 12(6)—delete 'subsection (1)(b)' and substitute:

subsection (1)(d)

There are two proposed government amendments to the bill, both relating to clause 16, about the independent appointed members of the University of Adelaide Council. The first proposed government amendment reinserts language currently in the University of Adelaide Act 1971 about the composition and constitution of the selection committee that recommends independent appointed members to council for appointment.

The second proposed government amendment updates a reference to section 12(1) of the University of Adelaide Act in section 12(6). Section 12(6) prevents the selection committee from recommending one of its own members for appointment to the University of Adelaide Council. The reference in section 12(6) needs to be updated to continue to have effect, as the bill would repeal and substitute a new version of section 12(1) with different numbering. Both proposed government amendments are minor issues that were only identified after the introduction of the bill, but they will ensure the continued effective operation of the act.

Mr GARDNER: I do not really have any stress about the second amendment, as far as I can tell. In relation to the first, on what basis was this change brought about? What was it that led the minister to identifying that the government wanted to amend the bill?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: It was a drafting error where, inadvertently, we left out something that we needed to preserve when we changed the relevant section.

Mr GARDNER: When did the government decide to make this little change?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I believe we filed these amendments on 15 February and decided that not long before.

Mr GARDNER: I see that, yes. Notwithstanding that, we will double-check this between the houses, but I cannot see any reason why the opposition would oppose these amendments.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I thank you for your indulgence; I appreciate that.

The Hon. S.W. KEY: I feel compelled to make a comment about this legislation. I cannot really speak with any authority about Adelaide University, having never attended there, but I certainly have been a longstanding member of the Flinders University campus both as a student and also as a committee member and classification review officer for Flinders University. I should say that, as general secretary of the students' association, I was also a member of the Flinders University Council.

Having had that experience, I feel very concerned about the reduction of members on particularly the Flinders University Council, particularly the staff representatives and the student representatives. I just want to register that I have concerns with this. I understand that there has supposedly been consultation with both the staff and students. I think the term used by the minister was that the university had advised they had made those two bodies 'aware' of the proposed changes.

I think this is a very good case of people not being consulted but having information shared with them, which seems to be a characteristic in a whole lot of areas, not just in the higher education sector. Obviously, I am not going to oppose the bill because our caucus has decided to support it, but I need to mention that I have concerns with these particular amendments.

Amendments carried; clause as amended passed.

Remaining clauses (17 to 20), schedule and title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (12:12): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (12:12): Very briefly, I wish to thank the government for progressing this matter this week. This has been on the Notice Paper for some time. Following the member for Ashford's comments, as a former graduate of Adelaide University who did subjects at Flinders University, I feel a very deep personal connection to both campuses. I spent at least a year longer there than I needed to.

I was also, as was the member for Ashford, elected by my peers to serve in a students' association at Adelaide University, but not to the lofty heights of general secretary. As a Liberal candidate for student selection on campus in the late nineties, it was not the ideal target market to run for president, but others have done well since and I congratulate them on that.

My fundamental desire, personally and as the shadow minister for education in South Australia, is for our universities to shine, for our universities to prosper, for our children to get the best possible education and for those universities to attract international students, to attract research funding and to attract the extraordinary opportunities that our higher education sector can deliver to South Australia in educational terms, in economic terms and also in terms of the cultural impact on our whole state. I hope that this bill in some small way will help them achieve that.

Bill read a third time and passed.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Madam Deputy Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

A quorum having been formed: