Angus Taylor did not mention International Students in his Budget Reply speech last night. But he did later. The Opposition Leader talked about immigration “making the dream of home ownership a nightmare” for Australians. He announced capping immigration to the number of homes built each year and delivering one of the biggest cuts in immigration in the country’s history. And he promised to deport 70,000 visa overstayers. It will all appeal to people who are convinced International students take jobs and houses from Australians, and Mr Taylor told the ABC in an interview later last night he would look at international students. There will be more to come. The Government has made much of controlling international student numbers. Mr Taylor will go louder and harder.
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NTEU president Alison Barnes announces a WA visit to “to speak about the governance crisis.” Maybe if pressed she might say a very few words why she is also running for a new term.
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So who will be the next chancellor of ANU? It has to be somebody TEQSA approves of, what with the university ceding the Agency a veto on its choice to replace Julie Bishop.
How about Craig Emerson who is already set to join the university’s nominations committee, on June 30? As a former Labor Trade and Education Minister, he is across governance and as an ANU PhD he might appeal to the community. Plus he is of independent mind. As Minister he focused on policy, not Labor factional politics. FC tried to contact the erudite Emmo to ask but alas with no success.
Maybe, maybe not. The fave among supporters of Interim VC Rebekah Brown is Ian Chubb, ANU Vice-Chancellor 2001-2011.
Another question FC can’t answer is whether ANU Council voluntarily agreeing to TEQSA having the numbers on the Chancellor selection committee is within the university’s Act. It states, “Council must not delegate its power to appoint the Chancellor, Pro‑Chancellor or Vice‑Chancellor.”
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The learned Max Lu (VC Uni Wollongong) understands how universities keep their social licence in the community’s service.
In a new paper, he synthesises the policy challenges for Australia to build a clean energy economy and the scientific ones to power it with green hydrogen generated electricity. Certainly there is a plug for technology from a UoW spin-out – research commercialisation analyst in-chief Tony Peacock, suggests Lu’s paper, “looks like a blueprint for a CRC bid” – but the overall message is science serves Australia.
Lu did the same for UoW’s local social licence last October, when he posted on LinkedIn about his hospital emergency-admission (gallstones). It was not all about him, “what made me especially proud was meeting so many UoW graduates and current students working in the hospital. Their enthusiasm, professionalism and kindness reaffirmed what we stand for,” he wrote.
The research paper appeared just days before news the state corruption commission is investigating allegations about UoW operations before he took over.
The news gods never let good work go unpunished.
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In Victoria, the Legislative Assembly has an inquiry into university governance. Government relations people on campuses across the State will be hoping hearings do not follow the lead of recent ones in the NSW upper house where UTS and Uni Wollongong managements were particularly critically questioned. Lobbies and activists gave evidence yesterday and today every Vic VC, substantive or acting, will get a 30-minute grilling.
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Management and unions at Uni Newcastle have come to terms on a new enterprise agreement – including a 15% pay rise through to September 2029. Plus there is a system-precedent, 17% super for casual staff, starting September 2030. The university norm is for casuals to receive the standard 12.5% employer contribution mere mortals receive. Standby for updates to union logs of claims everywhere.
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Uni Melbourne’s Annual Report refers to a March 2025 rule banning indoor protests and those that obstruct access to buildings, “unreasonably disrupt University operations, or undermine the capacity of individuals to participate fully in the University.”
The unreported backstory is that it was one of the late Emma Johnston’s first big moves as VC. The Rule followed Gaza protests in 2024 when it appeared at times that management had lost control of the Parkville campus. Nor does the Annual Report mention the Rule is vigorously opposed by members of the university community and external allies and is now being reviewed.
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Buried in the Education Portfolio Budget statement:
(i) there is a list of desired agency outcomes – of the “improve quality” kind. Except for ANU, it only states Rebekah Brown Is IVC. Maybe it was considered unkind to pile on more pressure.
(ii) a DoE special appropriation for “HE Research Promotion” starts with $6.7m this financial year, $7m next and $22m in the out-years. “And about time too!” thought FC, “comms making the case to taxpayers for the $1bn the ARC hands out.” Alas no, DoE advises the money goes to the learned academies and a science association, for “awareness raising events and scholarships.” That is a quite a sack of spondulicks for true believers to spend on talking to each other.
(iii) the Higher Education Support program has an 80% target for domestic UG satisfaction with teaching. Should not be too hard – QILT always records 80% plus scores (Covid-2020 aside).
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CANVAS is back up, all over after a week or so of being hacked and data is returned to institutions. Owner, Instructure advises shred logs confirm it will not be used by the cyber scoundrels. Plus, “no Instructure customers will be extorted as a result of this incident, publicly or otherwise.” All down to a security response no doubt, that plus Instructure “reached an agreement with the unauthorised actor involved in this incident.” Good-o but should Australian student data be ransomed? FC looked for direction from TEQSA, but it does not appear to have a policy against extortion.
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The medical research establishment has long been cross that the Medical Research Future Fund is only dishing out $650m a year instead of the $1bn they say is available, what with there being $24bn in the kitty.
The Feds have stayed schtum on motives for this meanness, but it probably has to do with worries that returns can bounce around leaving Treasury to make shortfalls for funded projects. Whatever the reason, no-one can complain like medical researchers complain and there is a promise of more MRFF money in the Budget – just not $1bn now. There will be an extra $500m over four years, with the annual grant being $1bn, from 2030-31. Not great, but good-enough was the response around the traps, which rather assumes the Feds could not change their mind that far down the track. Even if they don’t, inflation will mean that $1bn then pays for a lot less research than now.