Page 203 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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MR BERRY: Just answer the question.
MR KAINE: I will start with you and so far as the rest of the question goes, it has nothing to do with the policy of Government and I do not propose to dignify it with a reply.
University of Canberra
DR KINLOCH: My question is directed to Mr Humphries in his role as Minister for Education. In the light of the formal beginnings of the University of Canberra this year, can the Minister inform the Assembly of the progress made in determining the representation of the Australian Capital Territory on the University Council?
MR HUMPHRIES: The University of Canberra Act of last year does provide that a council of the university should be established consisting of, among other people, two persons appointed by the Governor-General on the nomination of the ACT Minister responsible for education. This matter was considered by the ACT's higher education coordination committee some while ago and that committee advised that the nominees should be members of the ACT Legislative Assembly. I am advised by the Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee secretariat that this advice simply reflects the standard practice throughout Australia whereby university councils include members of the local legislatures. This is an important and time-honoured practice ensuring universities are publicly accountable and community responsive.
Mr Dawkins, the Federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training, wrote to me in January indicating the type of nomination which he considered appropriate and, in particular, his opposition to the appointment of members of this Assembly. I wrote, as a matter of courtesy, to the Commonwealth Minister seeking clarification of his opposition. I was disappointed that the first I heard of the Minister's reiteration of his opposition was from a journalist with me last night.
According to the resulting press report the Commonwealth Minister's continued opposition is based on his belief that I should find people, to use his words, "more representative of the broader community". I have to say that I do not consider this to be in accordance with the views of this Government. It is our desire that the Council of the University of Canberra should have the same relationship with the ACT Government that university councils across the rest of Australia have towards the governments or the legislatures that created them. I believe it would be appropriate in those circumstances for appointments to be based on that criterion.
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