Greens call for Vice-Chancellor salaries to be reined in

In response to data showing Vice-Chancellors at Australian universities have benefited from massive pay rises in recent years, Australian Greens spokesperson for higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“Many of these Vice-Chancellors are pocketing massive salary increases. At the same time, they are demanding students pay more for their degrees.

“Universities are public institutions. There doesn’t seem to be a justification for why Vice-Chancellors are being paid salaries more than twice that of the Prime Minister.

“Vice-Chancellors can’t have it both ways – they can’t argue their universities are so financially healthy they should personally be rewarded while simultaneously trying to deregulate student fees in order to boost revenue. 

“It’s time to rein in the exorbitant salaries paid to many Vice-Chancellors by considering capping them at same level as the Prime Minister – at the most.

“Limiting wage increases of Vice-Chancellors to that received by academic and general staff would also be a good place to start – many university staff I have spoken to expressed dismay at Vice-Chancellors’ double standards,” Senator Rhiannon said.