Easson appointment balances Ramsay board

The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation has appointed Labor figure Michael Easson to its board.

Former ACTU vice-president Michael Easson has joined the board of the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation. Picture: John Feder

The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation has appointed Labor figure Michael Easson to its board, a move which will help rebalance its political composition following the resignation of former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley earlier this year when he became Governor of Western Australia.

Mr Easson, a businessman who is a former secretary of the NSW Labor Council and a former ACTU vice-president, said that he had been asked to join the board by the Ramsay Centre’s chairman, John Howard .

He said he was excited by the centre’s mission to fund courses — based on the Western canon of great books and taught in small group tutorials — and scholarships in several Australian universities.

“I like the idea of providing funding for this concept. It’s very, very common in the US and the UK,” he said. Mr Easson said that a great books course did not imply a “worshipful regard for the past” but was a way to “interrogate” our history. “A critical attitude is importan­t,” he said.

His appointment means that there will be two members with Labor backgrounds, albeit right-wing, on the Ramsay board — Mr Easson and the former head of the shop assistants’ union, Joe de Bruyn. On the Liberal side the board has two former prime ministers — Mr Howard and Tony Abbott — and current federal MP Julian Leeser.

Mr Easson said he did not see the Ramsay Centre’s mission as political and that it was a “caricature” to say it wanted to impose an ideological view. “I’m not focused so much on ideology but ensuring there are great choices for stud­ents,” he said.

He declined to comment on Mr Abbott’s statement earlier this year that the Ramsay Centre was not just about Western civilisation but “in favour” of it, which caused disquiet in universities.

Mr Easson’s appointment comes as the Ramsay Centre is in negotiations with the University of Sydney to introduce the great books course there.

Mr Howard said he was delight­ed that Mr Easson was joining the board. “He is highly respecte­d in the Australian business sector and educated in a variet­y of disciplines key to the centre’s success,’’ he said.

“Michael will complement the mix of skills and experience on the board and we very much looking forward to working with him.”