Now a new name can be added to the list of WA government passion projects — Tony's uni mega-merger.
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name → add → projects
Senior WA Labor ministers love a legacy piece, and this week Tertiary and International Education Minister Tony Buti went all in on his.
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Buti → love → his
It's a move he has been eyeing off for some time, and he says it will ensure WA universities remain "highly competitive, accessible and relevant".
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universities → eye → time
But cracks have started to show.
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cracks → start → ?
A feasibility study about the merger was reported to be riddled with AI-generated errors, and opposition (including from two of the universities in question) started to mount.
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opposition → report → question
Despite this, a headstrong Mr Buti is pressing ahead.
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Buti → press → this
He even played "an ace" in parliament to drown out some of the noise.
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He → play → noise
Mixed reactions
Both Mr Buti and WA Premier Roger Cook are confident the merger will create a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".
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merger → create → opportunity
"At present, we have duplicated offerings, fragmented investment and limited scale across our universities.
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we → have → universities
We have an opportunity to address these challenges," Mr Buti said last Sunday.
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Buti → have → challenges
Both say there are multiple pros to the plan, including major economic benefits and improved outcomes for students.
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Both → say → students
Others disagree.
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Others → disagree → ?
"Cost, waste, and loss of choice, jobs and legacy will be the hallmarks of the planned merger," a scathing Curtin University vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne said in a statement.
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Hayne → plan → statement
Ms Hayne added it "solves problems we don't have and creates problems we don't need", while Murdoch Vice-Chancellor Andrew Deeks labelled it "nonsense".
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Deeks → add → it
UWA chose not to take a formal stance, but its leaders called the merger "an opportunity".
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leaders → choose → merger
The political sledging started as soon as plans emerged.
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plans → start → ?
"I think it says a lot that this government might have made its mind up at the start of this process before it bothered talking to anyone," shadow education minister Liam Staltari said.
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Staltari → think → anyone
Outside parliament, the sledging continued.
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sledging → continue → parliament
"News to WA Labor, not everything comes down to a cost-benefit analysis," Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said on Tuesday.
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McNeill → come → Tuesday
"You can't put a value on the price of our educational institutions like that."
Opposition's stand
But the criticism that irked Mr Buti the most came from Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas.
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that → put → Zempilas
On Wednesday, it was revealed a taxpayer-funded cost-benefit report of the merger prepared by accounting firm Deloitte was littered with errors, or "AI slop" as some have put it.
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some → reveal → it
"A university student, if they handed this in to their lecturer, they would get an 'F'," Mr Zempilas said outside parliament.
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Zempilas → hand → parliament
"Yet this is the information that Tony Buti is asking us all to believe."
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Buti → ask → us
Inside parliament, Mr Buti unleashed, detailing a private conversation he had with Mr Zempilas months ago.
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he → unleash → Zempilas
"It's very interesting the Opposition's position at this stage for the business case," he said.
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he → say → case
"[Mr Zempilas] asked me to go outside and have a conversation with him.
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Zempilas → ask → him
He said to me, 'My personal view is that I agree with a three-way merger'.
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I → say → merger
"Not only that, he said, 'I know your side won't agree, but can I stand by you when you make the announcement?'"
A flurry of yelling and name-calling followed as Mr Zempilas angrily denied making the comments.
Regardless, the breadcrumbs were enough for the government.
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breadcrumbs → say → government
While answering a Dorothy Dixer question on state finances, Treasurer Rita Saffioti said she was keen to hear more from Mr Buti.
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she → answer → Buti
"Well, I could update the house but I'd rather hear the minister for tertiary education talk more about these private conversations," she quipped.
" …
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she → update → conversations
It was like you had an ace in the sleeve and you've played it in the parliament today."
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you → have → parliament
Deloitte has called the errors "minor" and said they do not affect the findings of the cost-benefit analysis.
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they → call → analysis
To squash the commentary, Mr Buti said on Thursday he would ask Deloitte to hand back some of the bill it was paid.
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it → squash → bill
It should not have happened," he said.
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he → happen → ?
Mr Buti might have thought his mega-merger was a lay down misère.
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merger → think → ?
But a slap on the wrist to Deloitte and revelations of a private conversation with Mr Zempilas might not be enough to save his signature sales pitch from further criticism.
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slap → save → criticism
Especially if two of the three universities have to be dragged into the arrangement kicking and screaming.
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two → have → arrangement
The Aporia
