PERTH UNIVERSITIES —
MERGER
1103. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I
refer the minister to recent renewed calls for the four public universities
here in Perth to be merged into one so-called ''super uni''.
(1) Does the
McGowan government have any plans to facilitate talks between the four
institutions in question to discuss this option further?
(2) In the event
of a merger, will the government commit to at least maintaining, if not
growing, the Albany campus to ensure that tertiary education remains within the
reach of students in the south west who wish to complete their studies at home?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) This is a matter for the
universities to consider.
Hon Neil Thomson: The state.
Hon SUE ELLERY: Pardon?
Hon Neil Thomson: It's
state legislation.
The PRESIDENT: Order!
Hon SUE ELLERY: The question
was does the McGowan government have any plans to facilitate talks between the
four institutions to discuss this option further, and the answer, honourable
member, is —
(1) This is a matter for the
universities to consider.
(2) This would be a matter to be considered by any
merged university if it were to form. The Minister for Education and Training does not have the power to affect the
operational decisions of Western Australian universities.
Hon Nick Goiran: It does.
Hon SUE ELLERY: That is a fact,
mate!
Hon Nick Goiran interjected.
The PRESIDENT: Order! It is
question time.