Louise Pratt is Labor’s new policy maker for universities

Senator Louise Pratt is Labor’s new shadow assistant minister for universities.

Senator Louise Pratt is Labor’s new assistant shadow minister for universities

In today’s Higher Ed Daily Brief: Labor’s new appointment, Robinson’s new role

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In one of the lesser-noted events amid the political cataclysms on Tuesday was the appointment of Labor senator Louise Pratt as the shadow assistant minister for universities and equality. For universities, Senator Pratt’s appointment is very important given her role in making Labor’s higher education policy in the lead up to the next federal election. And she may well end up holding this portfolio in a Shorten Labor government, a prospect which looms ever closer.

“Access to higher education is a core part of Labor’s values and mission. I am committed to continuing the fight against the Turnbull government’s cuts to university funding, cuts which effectively cap university places and mean thousands of young people will miss out on the education they want and deserve,” Senator Pratt said after her appointment on Tuesday. “I will also be working to keep the pressure up on our universities to make our campuses and university accommodation safe.”

Her role is to assist deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek, who is the education shadow minister.

Robinson’s new post

Former Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson has added another job to her quiver of roles. This week federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham appointed her to chair the board of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). It is something of a hot seat since ACARA is the organisation which runs the NAPLAN test, currently in the midst of a tricky transition from being paper-based to online.

She will also have to respond to a growing sense that NAPLAN is not meeting its original intention of providing a useful snapshot of each students’ school performance. Instead it’s become a high pressure ordeal for many students because schools and parents put such importance on NAPLAN results, even though they play no part in assessment.

Ms Robinson also has part-time role as the University of Canberra’s vice-president for university relations and strategy and chairs the Western Sydney University College. She takes over at ACARA from former Macquarie University vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz.