Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-08-25 Daily Xml

Contents

Adelaide Universities

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:43): Supplementary: noting the Treasurer's reply that the state government will not be putting additional money on the table for our universities, I ask him whether he could give this parliament an undertaking that he will be seeking more funding from the federal government for our state's universities.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:43): We are always quite happy to ask the federal Treasurer and the federal government for more funding for everything in South Australia, generically in terms of coming into the state budget by way of government grants right across the board. So we are very supportive of the federal government, where it is able, to provide significant additional funding. Issues in relation to education will more particularly—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —be an issue for a discussion between the Minister for Education—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —and the federal Minister for Education. I know there have been active discussions there. The Premier, I know, has ongoing discussions with the Prime Minister in relation to various initiatives, which do involve the universities. For example, the university has been looking at a number of initiatives, some of which involve Lot Fourteen and the like. I know that the Premier has been actively engaged in discussions with the commonwealth government in that particular area.

I am always happy to fight on behalf of South Australia to get as much money as we can from the federal government, not just in the area of money for the universities.