The state government offers to guarantee up to $750m in new borrowings by the state’s ten universities but there’s a governance price

The funds are on top of $100m worth of payroll tax deferrals.

And there is only one condition on accessing the guarantees. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says universities applying, “will be asked to show how they intend to restructure their operations to make them more sustainable.”

But will they want to answer that?

Universities across the state rejected the proposed union-universities accord on temporary cuts to staff wages and conditions in return for job protections in part because the deal included a committee (including union representatives) to oversight savings measures. This was commonly considered by VCs as taking on a function of their councils.

Be interesting to see if the state government sticking its bib in is seen differently.