Greens back auditor-general's call for Wollongong University to ban political donations

The Australian Greens are backing the NSW auditor-general's call for Wollongong University to ban political donations and are asking for this to be implemented at a state and federal government level.

"The newly released NSW auditor-general's report has put Wollongong University's political donations back under the spotlight," Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

"Rather than putting the onus on individual universities to develop policies prohibiting political donations, state and federal governments should immediately move to prohibit the use of public money in this way.

"Despite university management attempting to justify the use of public funds in this way, the auditor-general has made it clear these donations are an inappropriate use of public money.

"It is a sad reflection on the contemporary higher education sector, as well as the state of politics generally, that universities feel as though making political donations is the best way to influence the political debate," said Senator Rhiannon.