ATEC will “end the hunger games … where universities are encouraged to be the same and eat each other alive for students,” Jason Clare told the higher education establishment on Wednesday night.
The Education Minister told the Universities Australia conference that the new regulator would create a system, “where we have universities of different sizes and who (sic) do different things.”
And with the Senate inquiry into the establishing legislation for the Australian Tertiary Education Commission imminent, “the only real reason to oppose it is if you think the way things work at the moment is good enough.”
Mr Clare also announced more ATEC legislation, within months, to “switch on” “the two big equity engines in the Accord” long-promised demand driven undergraduate places for low SES and rural-remote university applicants, following the model already in place for Indigenous Australians.
And he signalled support for a VET-HE credit recognition framework, with ATEC offering more student places to universities “that really lean into this.”
The minister also referred to a range of already announced actions, notably, more powers for regulator TEQSA and a change to the Higher Education Threshold Standards “to require universities to demonstrate they are taking action against racism.”
Mr Clare assured the UA audience that “the tough stuff” he referred to was necessary, “because the future we talk about is not possible without you.”
“Universities really are the great hope for anybody seeking a better world,” he said.
Shadow Education Minister Julian Leeser later spoke, demonstrating that a deeper debate about education policy lies ahead for 2026, calling for an end to group assignments, calling for ATEC to be scrapped and urging stronger integrity in international education.calling for change declaring, “I am a friend who wants to see you be your best selves.”
On antisemitism, Mr Leeser welcomed the Government’s adoption of reforms that he had long campaigned for and warned that serious work – and serious changes – were required now – castigating the sector for failing to act and saying the Royal Commission would have failed if Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors are not put on the stand to give evidence.
“Both the Government and the Opposition are telling you today they have lost confidence in you in how you treat Jewish people,” Mr Leeser said.
“This is an operating risk, a social licence risk and a reputational risk to the sector. It has been a leadership failure across the country.”
Turning to other aspects of the education portfolio, he said ATEC would be at least the 15th regulator for the sector; “It is a 1950s solution for 2030’s economy.”
In what is shaping up to be the most tumultuous period of tertiary reform in decades, these were key salvoes in the Government’s ongoing battle to fundamentally restructure HE.