00:00 We're cautiously optimistic. I think the Accord final report has much to commend it, but we're
00:08 still going through the kind of fine print and detail and looking for those unintended
00:12 consequences and things that don't work so well for staff and students.
00:18 Now casualisation of the workforce in universities, it's been a well documented issue. What in
00:23 this report could address that?
00:25 Look, the report alludes to and makes mention of the devastating impact that casualisation
00:30 has. Two thirds of our public universities, people who work in our public universities
00:35 are employed insecurely. This has devastating consequences for the individual, but also
00:40 consequences for universities and students.
00:43 So the report talks about insecure work, but we're really hoping through things like the
00:47 Tertiary Education Commission, how the Futures Fund might be operated that deals squarely
00:53 with the problems that insecure work creates.
00:57 Tell us more about the Tertiary Education Commission. What would that bring?
01:01 Look, the Tertiary Education Commission is one of the recommendations we fully support.
01:06 Governance has been a big problem for many years across Australian universities, and
01:10 we're hoping through things like the Tertiary Education, we can get governance right in
01:15 our universities. So we put an end to things like wage theft. We make sure there are staff
01:19 and students' voices that are heard, and we ensure that our universities are governed
01:23 in the interests of staff and students and the good of the nation.
01:27 Now looking at those Morrison-era changes around fees for courses, so charging more
01:32 for humanities, arts degrees, charging less for nursing, it didn't actually change the
01:36 take-up significantly. Do you want to see that scrapped?
01:39 Yes, we're very happy that the jobs graduate legislation will be scrapped. It had terrible
01:46 implications for the sector, and it didn't work as it was intended. So we're really grateful
01:52 and pleased that that will go. We're hoping it will go. We really want to ensure that
01:56 our universities are funded adequately. Australia funds its universities far less than many
02:01 of our countries internationally. We really need to ensure that our universities are funded
02:06 so that they can achieve their core purposes, world-quality research and teaching.
02:11 And as to teaching models, are there some that can better address disadvantage?
02:17 Look, teaching should always look at, I suppose, the students and what works best for the students.
02:23 But if you are to do that, if there are students that are to be supported in terms of their
02:27 wellbeing, pastoral care or their academic work, we need to ensure that's properly funded.
02:34 Teaching and research across our universities is under enormous pressure, and if we are
02:39 to meet the needs of students, we need to invest in teaching, we need to invest in research
02:44 to ensure that students receive the support they deserve.
02:48 Speaking of research, what are the suggested changes around that?
02:51 Look, some of the changes around research are pretty exciting. For example, there's
02:55 a recommendation that research will be fully funded. Now, this is really important. When,
03:00 for example, people are...
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