The state government's proposal to merge the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Murdoch University into a single mega-university has been met with mounting opposition since it was announced earlier this month. A steering committee is due to deliver a business case by mid-2027, but the plan has already been criticised over a flawed Deloitte cost-benefit analysis that contained citation errors attributed to AI use, prompting the government to demand repayment of the $160,000 fee.
Speaking ahead of a student and staff rally at Parliament on Wednesday, Buti said he understood concerns but blamed "misinformation" for opposition to the plan. He said he had not been able to articulate the government's position to students. Buti argued that the status quo in WA's university sector was unsustainable, pointing to senior executives earning more than $36 million a year in total. He said he wanted that money redirected to students and staff.
Buti rejected claims that the merger was a foregone conclusion, stating that if the steering committee's business case did not support a three-way merger, the government would not pursue it. "I know what I believe should happen, but that will not happen if the business case does not stack up," he said.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas called the proposal a "mega-merger nobody asked for" and questioned the government's ability to manage costs given its record of blowouts. "The government can't even get the facts right in its own cost-benefit analysis for a merger. How can West Australians trust it to get the merger itself right?" he said.
The vice-chancellors of Murdoch and Curtin have both voiced strong opposition to the merger, questioning its rationale. Labor does not hold a majority in the upper house and needs at least two crossbench votes to pass any bill. The Nationals, One Nation and Legalise Cannabis MP Brian Walker are yet to declare their positions.
Buti was invited to speak at the rally but declined due to parliamentary duties. The rally at Parliament's front steps is expected to draw hundreds of students and staff.