Union Welcomes Parliamentary Inquiry Into University Sector

News of a parliamentary inquiry into the university sector has been welcomed in New South Wales today, as the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) rallied outside the Higher Education Summit this morning.

Staff, students, and union members gathered at Martin Place on Tuesday morning, as the Australian Financial Review’s Higher Education Summit met in the nearby Fullerton Hotel.

Invitations for workers and the union for the conference were withheld as lobbyist and consultants discussed the future of the sector.

The inquiry comes off the back of a petition begun by the NTEU and tabled by Labor MLC Sarah Kaine in NSW Parliament highlighting severe governance failures.

Kaine, said the inquiry was about building a stronger, fairer university system for the generations to come.

“This is a chance to ask hard questions,” she said. “Are universities being run in the public interest? Are they accessible, inclusive, and accountable? Are they fulfilling their promise to serve society—not just markets?

“We want to hear from those who live and work within these institutions every day, and ensure their views are heard and can help shape the path forward.”

A sector in crisis

Universities have been embroiled in crisis recently, with extensive course cuts, an over-reliance on consulting firms, and severe financial mismanagement, including massively overblown Vice Chancellor salaries.

The effect is being felt at all levels. Earlier this year, almost 70 per cent of Australian universities suffered a drop in the annual 2026 QS World University Rankings, in what critics dubbed a “wake up call” for the sector.

NTEU NSW Division Secretary Vince Caughley said the inquiry was a testament to the power NTEU members held.

“While staff are losing jobs and students are losing courses, senior executives and consultants are meeting inside the summit to discuss the sector’s future without staff or student voices at the table,” he said.

“Cuts are not inevitable. They are choices about priorities. Universities must be run in the public interest with accountable governance and fair, secure jobs.”

The inquiry comes as universities across the state announce massive job cuts, with 1,500 jobs under threat across six NSW public universities including University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie, and Western Sydney.

Almost one third of these job cuts come from UTS, which is slashing 10 per cent of its workforce as part of a redundancy program attempting to save the university $100 million. Approximately 400 jobs are expected to be lost.

“University workers and the community are demanding greater scrutiny,” Caughley said. “VCs and consultants can’t be trusted to do the right thing, they’re being dragged out from the shadows to recommit to institutions that protect education and serve the public good.”