The education minister addresses the Universities Australia conference tonight – the text is for an optimistic speech in the positive spirit of his first UA address, not long after last year’s election

Mr Clare will speak on the Universities Accord discussion paper now out, which delivers on what he promised last year, a review “looking at everything from funding and access, to affordability, transparency, regulation, employment conditions and also how universities and TAFEs and other higher education and vocational education providers and training institutions work together,” (CMM July 7 2022).

And he makes it plain that he wants a policy outcome for the ages, quoting a lyric from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, “a legacy is planting seeds in a garden you never get to see”.

No pressure minister. As George Washington sings to Alexander Hamilton in the show, “history has its eyes on you”.