Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I support the amendment put forward by the member for Berowra in relation to the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025. I think the point that the member just made is a fair one. The objectives of the body should reflect what ordinary people see as the role of universities. I think they are pretty well reflected in ways that I think most people would understand. I think that is appropriate. I don't think it's in conflict with anything that the government is seeking to achieve, but I think it is adding to it in a useful and constructive way.

A point that I added—and I'm grateful to the member for being open to the addition—was particularly around the linkages between business and industry and universities. I think that this is a part of the tertiary sector more broadly that can be much, much better. I am thinking particularly of two aspects of that. One is better preparing our young people for work by driving that connection between business and universities and the working world—not just business but also the non-market sector—because when our students go into the world of work, which is increasingly competitive and where we are seeing young people struggling to get on that first rung on the ladder, we need to do the best we possibly can so that they are well prepared. That, I think, supports that connection.

The other part of deepening those connections that I think is really critical is ensuring that the wonderful research of our tertiary institutions, which is in many cases is absolutely world-leading, is then translated into productivity and innovation outcomes in industry and the wider economy. Again, I think seeing how other countries in the world do this and doing this much more effectively are ways that this can be strengthened, and I think those should be clearer objectives of the sector to really drive those connections.

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