Peak lobby Universities Australia responded to Simon Birmingham’s attacks on attrition and graduate employment yesterday, suggesting he had things out of proportion.

“The government has tried to dress up a one per cent drop in the percentage of students completing their degrees within six years as an argument for performance funding. … Let us speak frankly. This type of criticism is really a Trojan horse for the government’s crusade to impose new conditions on university funding as part of a broader plan to deliver budget savings,” UA chief Belinda Robinson said.

As with the minister, her audience is Ms Sharkie and the Senate crossbench.