Uni merger questions send Treasurer into orbit

SA space industry figures demoralised by recent federal cuts to space programs should be buoyed to know state Treasurer Stephen Mullighan isn’t ruling out building another Cape Canaveral in Adelaide.

Mullighan’s opposite number Matt Cowdrey was doing his level best to pry out information about government funding for a proposed ‘Adelaide University’ in a lengthy budget estimates sitting on Thursday.

The discussion eventually devolved into a “rule in or out” game over whether the government will commit capital funds or infrastructure spending to a merged new institution, with a decision expected this weekend.

Cowdrey said: “Do you have a location in mind for the new building?”

Mullighan replied: “I am sorry?”

Cowdrey: “Do you have a location in mind for the capital spend?” 

Mullighan: “For what capital spend?”

Cowdrey: “The one that you have not ruled out?”  

Mullighan: “Right, yes. I have not also ruled out establishing an Orlando-like space base and building a rocket with taxpayer funds with the name of the new institution and launching it towards Jupiter, either.” 

The InSider can’t rule out that the Jupiter rocket has a better business case than the university merger – it might even cost less.

We are all individuals

The universities of Adelaide and South Australia have taken great pains to point out their independence during the six months allotted for preparing a merger case.

But a merger of sorts already seems to have happened with their PR strategy.

The University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor Peter Høj and UniSA Vice-Chancellor David Lloyd both wrote to staff on Monday morning, telling them the process was winding up and that merger feasibility assessments and business cases would be put to respective university councils for consideration this week.

But it would be a brief consideration for such a significant restructure, with both VCs singing from the same song sheet when telling staff to expect news within days.

“Regrettably, it is likely that this will occur outside of standard working hours this coming weekend, and given the level of associated interest, may well be in the wider public domain shortly after,” Høj wrote.

“Regrettably, given the timing of the Councils’ deliberations, I want to foreshadow that future updates regarding the outcome will likely be delivered outside of normal working hours this coming weekend, and given the level of associated interest, may well be in the wider public domain shortly after,” Lloyd wrote.

When InDaily sent both universities some merger questions on Tuesday, we received a joint statement attributed to both VCs, who reminded us that no decision had yet been made for the already scheduled big reveal to the media.

“The University of Adelaide and UniSA Councils are autonomously and independently working through a comprehensive business case this week, to understand the feasibility of combining the institutions to create a new university,” they said together.

“The feasibility assessment involved extensive work across 14 workstreams relating to curriculum, research, legal and regulatory matters, systems, people and culture, just to name a few.

“We are committed to communicating with staff and students as soon as possible following the outcome of the Councils’ deliberation. No decision has been made at this point.”

Pirie Street yarnbombed for a good cause

A splash of colour has knitted itself along the usually grey road this week as yarnbombers look to bring light to an important cause.

Those who find themselves outside the Royal Society for the Blind building on Pirie Street will notice a colourful display weaved together by Deafblind South Australia.

Created as part of Deafblind Awareness Week, observed until Sunday, the exhibition is a tactile experience created by the organisations’ members.

The InSider spoke to Anne Ruwoldt from the Royal Society of the Blind who said the yarnbombing “took a lot of effort”, with members contributing knitted squares and pom poms to the display.

In addition to what’s on show outdoors, those keen on checking out some other DBSA creations can head into the RSB building where further works of art are being exhibited.

Donations to DBSA are encouraged, but support can also be given by sharing photos of the pieces to get the word out about Deafblind Awareness Week which coincides with the birthday of Hellen Keller – a deafblind activist and writer.

Shotz finds new tenant

Still on Pirie Street, the once bustling Shotz bar favoured by Adelaide’s alternative scene will soon have a new tenant when a favourite performance space relocates.

The InSider has heard that the hallowed halls will finally come alive again by the end of winter. Watch this space.

Work-life balance sheet

Salaries paid to the State Government’s team of around 30 media advising staff ranging from Director of Media and Communications Adam Todd to Chief Media Adviser to the Premier Nick Harmsen received their annual public airing this week.

Todd was at the top end with $185,000 followed by Harmsen with $178,641 and trickling down to Deputy Premier Susan Close’s media adviser Jason Gillick, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis’s Tom Richardson, Health Minister Chris Picton’s Jemma Chapman and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan’s Jennifer Salter are all reportedly paid $145,100 annually.

The gazette showed the Premier’s media monitoring service manager Angelina Cooper is paid $142,942 while a team of five media monitors are paid $77,720 each.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader David Speirs’ director of media and communications Ben Harvy is paid $131,950 and the gazette names two others as being on the Opposition media team.

News of the salaries led to some interesting questioning in estimates committee this week, with Speirs asking Premier Peter Malinauskas whether any of the Premier’s staff “work from home and, if so, how often?”

“I bloody hope so, because..” Malinauskas began before Speirs chipped in with a quick “agreed”.

“And the reason why I say that is that they all work from home from time to time because they all work a lot more than nine to five,” Malinauskas continued.

“They all work all the time,” Speirs was quick to add.

“Yes, and I think the Leader of the Opposition would well appreciate that, as I am sure many of his staff do,” the Premier said.

Speirs went on to explain he meant whether staff in post-Covid times in a more formal sense “and this is not a criticism, could have a negotiated agreement that they do two days a week at home and three days in the office, just as an example”.

While the Premier said there are occasions where people work from home with a sick parent or child, but “I do not mind saying I think it is reasonably well known that if you are interested in a high-quality work-life balance these jobs tend not to be really for you”.

You’re just going to need to shake it off

Getting the word out isn’t a problem for Taylor Swift, of course, but the scramble to secure tickets had far-flung consequences this week. While Ticketek was lauded for wiping out bots, the Adelaide Festival Centre took to socials to warn people that Tay Tay mania might impact their ability – or patience – to queue for stuff actually happening in Adelaide.

But don’t fret, there’s plenty of time and events to book into to brighten what has been a very drab start to winter.

While Taylor Swift may have crashed Australia’s limited bandwidth, Barbie has simply crashed everything, including the state’s tabloid. Marketers around the world have employed to make everything a shade of pink for the upcoming movie launch… and it’s pretty obvious that Mattel’s pink publicists have had a good go at the blue suits of News Ltd with more than 50 Barbie stories run on the Advertiser since the film had a red carpet debut in April.

There haven’t been many days that there isn’t some reference to the plastic icon in the papers. Rest assured the InSider didn’t get paid for this mention – and can’t be blamed for the fact that you are now humming “Come on, Barbie, let’s go party”.

Swift crashing Australia, Barbie crashing the world… and now The Telegraph in the UK is simply crashing with its new breaking news logo. Media pundits around the world have been debating if their design house did it deliberately for the right-wing rag or if they employed Gen Z designers who simply failed high school history. You decide.

The Telegraph’s new logo is radiating so many Hitler particles. pic.twitter.com/iIKyKWjBy6

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) June 20, 2023

Stuff you should know…

OK, let’s face it. The weather really hasn’t been conducive to thinking “Hey, let’s pack the kids in the car and go snorkel with the cuttlefish in Whyalla”. Don’t worry, the good people at AusOcean have got your back and have installed a CuttleCam at Stony Point so you can witness the annual aggregation from the comfort of central heating.

The SA-based environment group has a mission “to help our oceans through technology” and has another live came under the jetty at Rapid Bay.