ANU chancellor Julie Bishop blasts Senate inquiry for airing distressing allegations against her
ANU chancellor Julie Bishop has denied explosive allegations made at a Senate inquiry into university governance that she is ‘hostile and arrogant’ towards staff.
Australian National University chancellor Julie Bishop has denied she has “godlike powers’’ and scolded a Senate committee for failing to include trigger warnings for an academic’s harrowing evidence.
The former foreign minister has denied all allegations levelled against her during a Senate inquiry into university governance.
“I reject absolutely the allegations that I am ‘hostile and arrogant’ to staff, that I have ‘godlike powers, unchecked’ and the more general allegations that, under my chairmanship of council meetings, there is a ‘culture of fear and intimidation’, that ‘dissent’ is ‘discouraged’, that council is ‘dysfunctional and toxic under the current regime’, that elected members are ‘afraid’, that council is ‘orchestrated cinema to make it appear that what’s happening is legitimate when … it’s not’ or that the nature of the council is ‘divide and conquer’,’’ Ms Bishop wrote.
The Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee has made public Ms Bishop’s 25-page “right of reply” to allegations by witnesses during its eight-month inquiry into governance across all universities.
The chancellor’s official denial has been made public just days after ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell resigned following months of chaos triggered by a $250m cost-cutting plan at the financially stricken university.
Ms Bishop denied evidence given by ANU demographer Liz Allen, who told the committee she had been “bullied into near suicide’’ during her time as a staff representative on ANU’s governing council, which she quit in April.
In her evidence, protected by parliamentary privilege, Dr Allen told an inquiry hearing on August 12 that the former vice-chancellor, Nobel laureate Professor Brian Schmidt, had “kept the chancellor’s behaviour in check’’.
Ms Bishop has written to the committee saying “I reject any inference that it would take a male vice-chancellor to keep a female chancellor ‘in check’ ”.
She also berated the committee for letting Dr Allen give distressing evidence in public.
“I am dismayed that witnesses gave testimony in an environment that failed to meet safe workplace standards, particularly with regard to psychosocial safety,’’ Ms Bishop wrote.
“The witness was evidently deeply distressed and spoke specifically about suicidal ideation and a miscarriage.
“There was no warning about the nature of the testimony likely to be given, and I am concerned that appropriate trauma-informed principles were not applied in relation to her testimony.
“This testimony was open to the public present in the hearing room, and it was also live-streamed … there appeared to be no consideration given to the wellbeing of those viewing the footage.’’
Ms Bishop told the committee she is “deeply concerned that the existing (ANU) workplace grievance process has indeed been compromised as a result of the circumstances in which testimony was given”.
She offered to appear before the committee, noting that she had been unable to attend the August 12 hearing due to her commitments as the United Nations secretary-general’s Special Envoy on Myanmar.
She said the committee ought to have heard Dr Allen’s evidence in camera, so that “my right to procedural fairness would have been preserved, and my reputation would not have been harmed’’.
“I wish to state on the record that I categorically deny the allegations levelled against me during the hearing,’’ she said.
“I can address and refute each of these allegations but there are real and practical difficulties as well as consequences in doing so in a public response at present.
“It would clearly be in my interests to have my name cleared and the damage to my reputation mitigated at the first available opportunity.’’
In her emotional evidence on August 12, Dr Allen sobbed as she spoke of her suicidal ideation and miscarriage after Ms Bishop allegedly berated her and threatened a legal investigation over alleged leaks to the media.
“I felt threatened and became extremely fearful. I believed my job was at risk,’’ she told the hearing.
“Chancellor Bishop laughed incredulously at my emotional response and, at one point, blocked me from leaving the room.
“I was so distressed that I couldn’t breathe and struggled walking.
“I cannot tell you just how traumatising this was for me. It affected me so deeply that, on the drive home, I decided to kill myself.
“I pulled over to write final goodbyes to my children and my partner. A call from my husband stopped me from taking my life.
“I was pregnant at the time of these incidents. In roughly the fortnight following, my much-wanted baby died.’’
Ms Bishop has now suggested that the Education and Employment Legislation Committee be referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.
She said Comcare, the work health and safety insurer, considers “exposure to traumatic events or material to be a workplace hazard … giving rise to a risk of harm to the committee members and witnesses’’.
She suggested that the committee consider “whether it has complied with the Behaviour Code for Australian Parliamentarians and the Behaviour Standards for Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces … including whether it is compliant with its work health and safety obligations’’.
“I also raise for consideration whether a referral to the Privileges Committee is warranted,’’ she wrote.
Committee chairwoman Labor senator Marielle Smith wrote back to Ms Bishop that the committee “was not aware of the detail of Dr Allen’s testimony in advance’’.
“I understand this has been a difficult situation for all concerned,’’ she wrote.
“From the committee’s perspective, the issues raised at the hearing were part of an extensive body of evidence it has received as part of its inquiry.’’
ANU acting vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown also defended the ANU, writing to the committee that “relevant senior officers do not presently think it is appropriate to respond in full to the adverse reflections made at the hearing’’.
“The university cares deeply about fulfilling its work health and safety obligations and has, amongst other things, developed a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with these obligations,’’ Professor Brown wrote.
“The university is of the view that all council members act in the best interests of the university and discharge their responsibility in respect of their legislative obligations.’’
Ms Bishop told the committee she has more than 30 years’ experience as a chair, director and board member as well as 20 years’ experience in government, attending cabinet meetings.
She said the ANU’s independent assessment of council members’ performance in 2022 found she “is seen as fair, measured, a good listener, purposeful, astute, personable and visionary’’.
Ms Bishop tabled a “wordle’’ from a BoardsGlobal report that gave “highly complimentary’’ descriptions of her that included “direct, smart, outstanding leader’’.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency has appointed former Commonwealth Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs to lead its compliance assessment of ANU.
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