WA University Students and Staff Rally Against Proposed Merger

More than 300 university students and staff marched on Parliament House to protest a plan to merge three of Western Australia's four public universities. The proposed merger of the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University aims to create Australia's largest university with over 100,000 students.

The move has been met with criticism from Murdoch and Curtin universities, who have labeled it as expensive and wasteful. UWA Vice Chancellor Amit Chakma has expressed support for the plan, praising its aspiration to improve the sector.

Students Unite Against Merger

Students chanted slogans such as "I repeat, I say, no merger in WA" and "say it loud, say it clear, we don't want a merger here" during the protest. Members of the three student guilds spoke to the crowd, questioning the benefits of the proposed merger.

Curtin University guild president Dylan Storer said students would not back down. "Our universities belong to the people of Western Australia, and we deserve a say in their future," he said.

"Right now, our state government has an opportunity. An opportunity to invest in affordable student housing. To invest in better teaching, better facilities and better student support … you cannot fix a cost-of-living crisis with a corporate restructure," Storer added.

French Protests Cited as Inspiration

Incoming UWA guild councillor Rojin Didari described the actions of protesters in France as "heroic" and urged WA students to "take a leaf" out of their book. Protests over poor classroom conditions in France have turned into riots, with widespread violence and looting.

However, Storer later distanced himself from Didari's comments, saying he did not agree and most people in attendance would "deplore that kind of violence".

Minister's Response

Tertiary Education Minister Tony Buti said he would not address the rally, citing a scheduling conflict. He introduced an overhaul of the state's discrimination laws to parliament at the same time.

Dr. Buti asked students and academics to keep an open mind about the merger. "All I ask students, all I ask academics ... let's re-imagine [university] education," he said.

Dr. Buti accused guild presidents of cherry-picking information and said no commitment had been made to the merger. He stated that the proposal would only proceed if the business case stacked up.

Merger in Jeopardy

The merger may face challenges in parliament, with doubts over whether Labor has the numbers to pass the legislation. The Liberal party has rejected the proposal, and the Greens are also strongly opposed.

Opposition education spokesman Liam Staltari said the proposal was "the wrong proposal, flat out". He added, "Have we ever seen this government commission a business case that at the end of the process doesn't end up with a glowing view of their own pet project?"

"What they haven't counted on is the opposition of students and the community saying they won't just roll over and accept a forced mega merger," Staltari said.