University Merger

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): One further supplementary to the Treasurer or the Premier: can the government rule out that that contribution would be used to fund staff redundancies at the two existing universities?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:20): Again, we haven't got a decision from the universities so we are talking about hypotheticals but I can't imagine that we would look to commit any of our funding for that sort of purpose. I suspect in the alternative what the government—I don't suspect: I know that our thinking has been if the two universities were to make a decision separately that they wanted to pursue this, if we make any contribution it would be in the effort to support such a merged institution delivering over and above what the two separate entities have been able to do themselves separately to date and I don't see us specifically funding staff redundancies would fit into that line of thinking.