Commenting on the story: ‘Important test’: Premier’s message to Upper House on uni merger vote

If two universities have metaphorical guns to their heads and are told by the State Government that 1. If you don’t agree to a merger we will “make it happen” anyway, and 2. If you do agree we will give you a big bucket of cash, how can anyone maintain an argument that it was not a foregone conclusion from the start?

As an alumnus of the University of Adelaide (several times over) and a fan of the University of South Australia and in particular its vocational degrees, my view is that a merger is in neither institution’s best interests, nor is it in the best interests of South Australia more broadly.

In my view, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, no matter how massive that whole may end up being. However, even if you disregard the outcome, the process stinks.

If this is an “important test” for the State Government, they have passed the lesson in railroading with flying colours. – Yari McCall

Malinauskas has got it wrong. Size is not a shortcut to quality. The top universities in the world are not mega-sized. University rankings have the University of Adelaide in the top 100 worldwide. The University of South Australia is in the 300s. How will merging do anything but send the University of Adelaide’s ranking into free fall?

One of the reasons why staff have not responded in numbers to the surveys is that we are now quite cynical about what passes for consultation. We are asked when decisions have already been made, just to tick the consultation box.

Management show themselves time and again to be dismissive of staff concerns. Restructuring is their raison dêtre. It must be, or else they would not make it a continual process. – Mandy Treagus

There is no compelling case for such a merger. It is looking like a politician’s vanity project. It will drag down the status score, as AU is well above UniSA. – Robert Warn

Given the origins of Labor, I would have assumed at least a few members representing the party would be aware of what constitutes genuine consultation, mainly that the consultation happens before any decision is made.

This must have slipped Premier Malinauskas’ mind when, in March, he said the merger between universities was the “government’s policy” that he planned to “make it happen” regardless of a business case, feasibility study and consultations with workers and students.

The National Tertiary Education Union’s consultation with over 1000 workers raised concerns – mainly that most workers do not support a merger – but this was dismissed by the State Government as quickly as university staff fear they will be post-merger.

This has not fazed the Premier though. He’s always had his eyes on the real purpose of his policy – to have the largest educator of Australian students as well as “a magnet for international students” under his name. – Georgia Thain

Commenting on the story: Seeking regional infrastructure ideas for new fund

Not again? With the change of government comes the same old questions and inquiries.

Here’s a thought: what about spending the miserable $5 million on fixing the regional roads or rebuilding the ageing rail network and related infrastructure ? That in itself will employ dozens if not hundreds of workers and improve safe movement of vehicles, trucks and trains. – Barry Churches.