War of words erupts as Buti pitches uni merger passion project

First there was Rita's racetrack, then there was Roger's rugby league team.

Now a new name can be added to the list of WA government passion projects — Tony's uni mega-merger.

Senior WA Labor ministers love a legacy piece, and this week Tertiary and International Education Minister Tony Buti went all in on his.

It's a merger of three of the state's public universities — Curtin University, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia.

It's a move he has been eyeing off for some time, and he says it will ensure WA universities remain "highly competitive, accessible and relevant".

But cracks have started to show. 

A feasibility study about the merger was reported to be riddled with AI-generated errors, and opposition (including from two of the universities in question) started to mount.

Despite this, a headstrong Mr Buti is pressing ahead. 

He even played "an ace" in parliament to drown out some of the noise.

Mixed reactions

Both Mr Buti and WA Premier Roger Cook are confident the merger will create a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

"At present, we have duplicated offerings, fragmented investment and limited scale across our universities. We have an opportunity to address these challenges," Mr Buti said last Sunday.

Both say there are multiple pros to the plan, including major economic benefits and improved outcomes for students.

Others disagree.

"Cost, waste, and loss of choice, jobs and legacy will be the hallmarks of the planned merger," a scathing Curtin University vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne said in a statement.

Ms Hayne added it "solves problems we don't have and creates problems we don't need", while Murdoch Vice-Chancellor Andrew Deeks labelled it "nonsense".

UWA chose not to take a formal stance, but its leaders called the merger "an opportunity".

The political sledging started as soon as plans emerged.

"I think it says a lot that this government might have made its mind up at the start of this process before it bothered talking to anyone," shadow education minister Liam Staltari said.

Outside parliament, the sledging continued.

"News to WA Labor, not everything comes down to a cost-benefit analysis," Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said on Tuesday.

"You can't put a value on the price of our educational institutions like that."

Opposition's stand

But the criticism that irked Mr Buti the most came from Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas.

On Wednesday, it was revealed a taxpayer-funded cost-benefit report of the merger prepared by accounting firm Deloitte was littered with errors, or "AI slop" as some have put it.

"A university student, if they handed this in to their lecturer, they would get an 'F'," Mr Zempilas said outside parliament.

"Yet this is the information that Tony Buti is asking us all to believe."

Inside parliament, Mr Buti unleashed, detailing a private conversation he had with Mr Zempilas months ago.

"It's very interesting the Opposition's position at this stage for the business case," he said.

"[Mr Zempilas] asked me to go outside and have a conversation with him. He said to me, 'My personal view is that I agree with a three-way merger'.

"Not only that, he said, 'I know your side won't agree, but can I stand by you when you make the announcement?'"

A flurry of yelling and name-calling followed as Mr Zempilas angrily denied making the comments.

Regardless, the breadcrumbs were enough for the government.

While answering a Dorothy Dixer question on state finances, Treasurer Rita Saffioti said she was keen to hear more from Mr Buti.

"Well, I could update the house but I'd rather hear the minister for tertiary education talk more about these private conversations," she quipped.

" … It was like you had an ace in the sleeve and you've played it in the parliament today."

Deloitte has called the errors "minor" and said they do not affect the findings of the cost-benefit analysis.

Uncertainty ahead

To squash the commentary, Mr Buti said on Thursday he would ask Deloitte to hand back some of the bill it was paid.

"It's incredibly disappointing. I'm angry with Deloitte. It should not have happened," he said.

Mr Buti might have thought his mega-merger was a lay down misère.

But a slap on the wrist to Deloitte and revelations of a private conversation with Mr Zempilas might not be enough to save his signature sales pitch from further criticism.

Especially if two of the three universities have to be dragged into the arrangement kicking and screaming.