Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns signals openness to judicial inquiry on campus anti-Semitism

Labor has so far blocked and rebuffed Coalition efforts for a royal commission-style inquiry into campus anti-Semitism.

Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

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Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns has signalled he is open to a judicial inquiry into campus anti-Semitism if universities do not improve over the next 12 months, despite Labor so far having rebuffed Coalition calls for a royal commission-style inquiry.

Mr Burns, who chairs the committee that delivered a scathing report on campus anti-Semitism, blasted the leadership of the Australian National University and the Greens for their conduct throughout the inquiry.

“Obviously we’ve left on the idea of a judicial inquiry, which is essentially a royal commission,” Mr Burns told reporters on Thursday.

“I think that is a big step.”

When asked whether this meant he was more supportive of a judicial inquiry, Mr Burns said:

“What we’ve said is that the student ombudsman should review this … over the next 12 months and ensure that the experiences on campus are better for our students.

“So there’s a lot of work that should happen right now. That’s the whole point of this inquiry.

“But if that doesn’t work, then obviously there are further things that will be considered.”

Australasian Union of Jewish Students co-president Danielle Tischmann said the report should not be “another report that sits on a shelf”.

“This is an opportunity to reset the tone of our conversations with one another,” she said.

“This is an opportunity to put out the fire and through its ashes rebuild a society cemented in the principles that unite us as Australians.

“When students graduate university and go on to become our future teachers, our future politicians, judges, nurses, and doctors, when they stand amongst their classmates and throw their cap into the air, they don’t just leave with lessons they’ve learned from textbooks. They leave with the lessons they’ve learned from their peers, the lessons they’ve learned through their student life experience. And if we see anti-Semitism continue on university campuses, we will see anti-Semitism persist throughout society.”

Mr Burns said he was not “satisfied” with ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell’s testimony during the hearings, where she said a university investigation had found two students did not perform Nazi-inspired gestures in a mass online student meeting where Jewish students had unsuccessfully tried to move a student association motion to recognise anti-Semitism at the university’s pro-Palestine encampment protest.

“Evidence given at the hearing was that it was a superficial Nazi salute,” Mr Burns said. “I have no idea what that means. It’s either a Nazi salute or it’s not. And frankly, the engagement with the university at the hearing and subsequently has been inadequate. And there has not been a fulsome reason as to why they got to that conclusion.”

Mr Burns also took aim at the Greens’ comments in the inquiry report where senator David Shoebridge did not agree with the recommendations and said the would “continue to critique laws and approaches that are unproductive, divisive, and driven more by politics than principle”.

“I don’t say this lightly, but the response by the leader of the Greens – consistently – over the last 15 months and earlier in tackling anti-Semitism is a stain on his leadership,” he said.

Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson demanded the Albanese government respond quickly to the report and again demanded a judicial inquiry into campus anti-Semitism.

Education Minister Jason Clare said the government was “carefully considering the committee’s recommendations”.

NOAH YIM