Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026

Senator FARUQI (New South Wales—Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens) (10:22): I move Greens amendment (1) on sheet 4117: (1) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (lines 2 to 17), omit section 39-65, substitute: 39-65 Conditions on grants A higher education provider receives a grant under this Part on the following conditions: (a) that the provider complies with section 39-70 (providers to use amounts for certain purposes); (b) that the provider meets the [*]quality and accountability requirements; (c) the conditions (if any) specified in the Needs-based Funding Grants Guidelines.

The Albanese government, like it seems they do with every single bill that they put in parliament, once again have tried to give themselves unprecedented ministerial power in this bill to intervene in how universities operate and how they work. Every single stakeholder that we heard from who provided evidence at the inquiry was so adamantly opposed to the minister imposing conditions, which are unlimited in subject matter and which could be provider specific, on funding grants.

This could have seen a minister impose conditions, for instance, prohibiting protests on campus, which is a basic right that we have in our democracy, or even imposing the controversial IHRA definition that conflates antisemitism with the criticism of Israel and many more things. This amendment removes these powers from the minister. There is no reasonable justification for a minister to have these powers, and no deal could have been done without the removal of these excessive powers.

I am relieved that the government has agreed to support this amendment.