This bill is currently before Parliament.
Education & skills
The bill would cap future public university vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay at less than $430,000 a year, unless the responsible minister sets a different amount for the first year of a term.
Senator Lambie introduced the bill because she argued that vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay at publicly funded universities had become excessive and out of step with students, staff and public-sector benchmarks. The bill is designed to replace advisory or voluntary pressure with a statutory cap, backed by TEQSAThe national higher education regulator. Under the bill, TEQSA could request information about vice-chancellor remuneration and respond to some breaches. information-gathering and possible registration sanctions.
The bill sits inside a wider argument about what Australian public universities are for, how much independence they should have, and whether public funding should support high executive pay. Senator Lambie framed the bill as a hard legal response to vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. salaries; the broader tertiary-education debate also included the Universities Accord, proposed federal oversight of student places, and concern from vice-chancellors about the shape of national reform.
The collected record contains limited direct criticism of the bill. The clearest concern is legal: the explanatory memorandum itself acknowledges constitutional uncertainty about how far the Commonwealth can impose a vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay condition on state-created public universities. No proposed amendments or recorded opposition votes were listed on the APH bill page.
Senator Jacqui Lambie introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Jacqui Lambie Network.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
490 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill would cap future public university vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay at less than $430,000 a year, unless the responsible minister sets a different amount for the first year of a term.
For the Australian National UniversityThe Canberra university established under a Commonwealth Act. The bill changes its own Act directly, rather than using TEQSA registration conditions., the bill would amend the Australian National UniversityThe Canberra university established under a Commonwealth Act. The bill changes its own Act directly, rather than using TEQSA registration conditions. Act 1991 so the pay cap applies to anyone appointed as vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. after the bill starts.
For other public universities, the bill would make the same vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay cap a registration condition under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards AgencyThe national higher education regulator. Under the bill, TEQSA could request information about vice-chancellor remuneration and respond to some breaches. Act 2011.
The bill would let TEQSAThe national higher education regulator. Under the bill, TEQSA could request information about vice-chancellor remuneration and respond to some breaches. ask covered universities for information about vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay, with at least 14 days to respond to a written request.
If a covered university breached the pay cap and did not fix it within three months, TEQSAThe national higher education regulator. Under the bill, TEQSA could request information about vice-chancellor remuneration and respond to some breaches. could treat that as non-compliance that may lead to administrative sanctions.
Consistent with the approach taken in regard to the remuneration of the ANU Vice-Chancellor, the new subsection 25B(2) defines the Vice-Chancellor remuneration requirement so that for each year in a person’s term of appointment to the office of Vice-Chancellor, the remuneration of the person for that appointment must be less than $430,000 unless the Minister prescribes an amount for a year that is the first year of the term of appointment.Tertiary Education Legislation Amendment (There For Education, Not Profit) explanatory memorandum
This item provides that the amendments made by Part 1 of Schedule 1 apply to a person who is appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University on or after commencement.Tertiary Education Legislation Amendment (There For Education, Not Profit) explanatory memorandum
The new subsection 25B(1) provides that a registered higher education provider must comply with the Vice-Chancellor remuneration requirement if the provider is a Table A provider; if there is an office of Vice-Chancellor of the provider; and the provider is not the Australian National University.Tertiary Education Legislation Amendment (There For Education, Not Profit) explanatory memorandum
TEQSA, by written notice given to the provider, requests the provider to give TEQSA information relating to the provider’s compliance with subsection 25B(1): (i) within the period (not shorter than 14 days after the notice is given) specified in the notice; and (ii) in the manner specified in the notice.Tertiary Education Legislation Amendment (There For Education, Not Profit) introduced bill text
This item provides for insertion after paragraph 98(b) of the TEQSA Act of a new paragraph (ba) that provides that Division 1, Subdivision A relating to sanctions only relates to a breach of the registration condition imposed by section 25B (Vice Chancellor remuneration) only constitutes non-compliance if the registered higher education provider has not remedied the breach within three months of the day the breach first occurred.Tertiary Education Legislation Amendment (There For Education, Not Profit) explanatory memorandum
Context
The bill sits inside a wider argument about what Australian public universities are for, how much independence they should have, and whether public funding should support high executive pay. Senator Lambie framed the bill as a hard legal response to vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. salaries; the broader tertiary-education debate also included the Universities Accord, proposed federal oversight of student places, and concern from vice-chancellors about the shape of national reform.
Vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay becomes the bill's target
In the incorporated second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated. speech, Senator Lambie said Group of Eight vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. remuneration averaged close to $1.3 million in 2023 and used that claim to argue for a statutory pay cap.
Hansard ↗Universities Accord sharpens reform debate
Public discussion of the Universities Accord focused on major long-term reform and the scale of investment needed in tertiary education.
Australian Financial Review ↗Vice-chancellors criticise national reform model
University leaders publicly criticised a proposed national tertiary education commission model as too close to the federal Education Department, showing wider sector anxiety about Canberra's role in university governance.
Australian Financial Review ↗Lambie introduces the pay cap bill
The Senate introduced the bill and moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated.. The APH summary says it was introduced with a related Remuneration Tribunal bill and would cap university vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. remuneration.
Parliament of Australia ↗Bill restored in new Parliament
After lapsing at the end of the previous Parliament on 21 Jul 2025, the bill was restored to the Senate Notice Paper two days later and referred again to committee.
Parliament of Australia ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated., opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated. moved
The Senate referred the bill to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee, with an interim report recorded for 14 Apr 2025.
Referred to committee
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
After the bill was restored to the Senate Notice Paper in the 48th Parliament, it was referred again to the same committee, with a report due on 27 Mar 2026.
Report due 27 Mar 2026
APH bill page notesKey criticism
The collected record contains limited direct criticism of the bill. The clearest concern is legal: the explanatory memorandum itself acknowledges constitutional uncertainty about how far the Commonwealth can impose a vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay condition on state-created public universities. No proposed amendments or recorded opposition votes were listed on the APH bill page.
This is a private senator's bill still before the Senate. The collected material is mostly the sponsor's case for the bill, so the criticism section is necessarily narrower than for a bill with a fuller debate record.
Commonwealth power over state universities
The explanatory memorandum says there is constitutional uncertainty about the Commonwealth regulating state public universities, so the bill includes a severabilityA drafting device meant to preserve the valid parts of a law if a court finds part of it cannot operate. clause intended to limit any overreach if a court found part of the condition beyond Commonwealth power.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Jacqui Lambie supports the bill, arguing that vice-chancellorThe chief executive role at a university. This bill would also treat a differently named chief executive officer role as the vice-chancellor role for the pay cap. pay at public universities has become excessive while students and university staff face cost and wage pressures.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
“Instead, we need a big stick, that is federal law to significantly cut and cap the salaries of vice chancellors, and that's what this Bill aims to do.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated. opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where a bill's main purpose and principles are debated., opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Lapsed at end of Parliament
Lapsed at end of Parliament
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Restored to Notice Paper
Restored to Notice Paper
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Referred to committee
The Senate referred the bill to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee, with an interim report recorded for 14 Apr 2025.
Referred to Committee (12 Feb 2025): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Interim committee report (14 Apr 2025)
APH bill page notesSenate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Report due 27 Mar 2026
After the bill was restored to the Senate Notice Paper in the 48th Parliament, it was referred again to the same committee, with a report due on 27 Mar 2026.
Referred to Committee (23 July 2025): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Report due 27 Mar 2026
APH bill page notes