The current implementation phase of quality assurance in higher education has ushered in a range of debates and ideas. In response to a recent presentation on the topic, this article provides a glimpse into some of the conditions that lend themselves to the emergence of external quality assurance agencies. A key element nationally, resonating with the international context, is the pressure on the system to widen participation to a more diverse student body. This process is occurring simultaneously with the incursion of market forces into higher education. The coalescence of these factors culminating in a set of tensions, is what is considered in this article.