Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:37): (1308) My question today is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Minister, as you may have seen reported on the ABC today, my team and the National Tertiary Education Union have been working together seeking documents on executive salaries in Victoria’s universities via freedom of information requests. This is information which is firmly in the public interest. We have faced a never-ending series of barriers, with the universities fighting us at every stage to stop us from accessing this information. In just about all cases we have appealed to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, OVIC, who have in almost every case upheld our requests and called on the universities to release this information. Rather than agreeing with OVIC, some of the universities have lawyered up and are taking me to VCAT. I am now facing three separate VCAT cases from universities who are appealing decisions of the deputy commissioner. Minister, is it your expectation that Victorian universities be forthcoming with information requests regarding executive salaries?

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:38): I thank Mr Puglielli for his question. The issue of the matters that he raised here today has been subject to some media coverage in a general sense. Indeed, as he well knows, and as the chamber well knows, it is this government that has also requested and there is a parliamentary inquiry –submissions have closed now – in relation to governance issues affecting our universities.

In terms of the specifics that the member raises in respect to legal procedures, I was not familiar with any of that until today, and I am happy to pursue a conversation with him about what has occurred in terms of his experience. I am more than interested in all of that. But of course this issue of transparency and issues around remuneration are very much front of mind for many Victorians, and indeed Australians, to be quite frank. That is why there are inquiries, so there is an opportunity to have Victorians voice their views in an open and transparent way about what they consider to be the proper functioning of our university sector.

 Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:40): Minister, in all three of the VCAT cases that I am facing the universities have hired external lawyers to fight the release of this information. We have just seen reported on Four Corners that universities are spending $1.8 billion a year on consultants, with no requirement to disclose where this money is going. At least in my case we know what they are using some of that money for. Minister, is it your expectation that universities, public institutions with their own in-house legal teams, hire external legal firms specifically contracted to fight FOI requests for information that should be available in the public interest?

The PRESIDENT: I think that is asking for an opinion, but I am happy for the minister to answer as she sees fit.

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:41): Again, I agree. I am not going to offer a personal opinion in respect to this. You might guess what that might be, but I am not going to put that on the record. It is important that these issues are well canvassed within the inquiry that is about to commence. Issues about proper governance, transparency, information and the levels of which information can and should be distributed and what the public sector needs to be accountable for in terms of the general public are incredibly important. That is why we have these inquiries, and that is why it is important to hear the voices of stakeholders, but also individuals, whether they be people that have been students, are students, are academics, are administrators or are general community members. I think this is a prime opportunity for the university sector to be able – (Time expired)