The NSW Legislative Council committee inquiring into the future of the state’s tertiary education sector asked VCs about their pay. MLC’s were not impressed

“The vast disparity between the salaries paid to senior university administrators and the casual and insecure payments made to so many of the staff who actually conduct the teaching and research in universities is a matter of real concern to the committee. If the role of universities is to create new knowledge and disseminate that knowledge to students then the people who do this critical work need to be valued and respected.

“The current system that sees university vice chancellors paid 25 or thirty times more than many of the people undertaking the core work of universities must be reviewed and the failure to do this by the governing bodies of universities is evidence of a failure of leadership.”

And they want an investigation

“This is a matter that should be reviewed by the Auditor-General.”  Which it seems could do so if it chose.

“The Auditor-General may at any time make a report to parliament on any matter that arises from or relates to the exercise of the audit or other functions of the Auditor-General and that in the opinion of the Auditor-General should be brought to the attention of Parliament,” the NSW Audit Office told CMM (December 4).