By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
The blowback (and blow up) from the Australian Catholic University’s decision to grant conservative unionist Joe de Bruyn an honorary doctorate so he could rail against abortion at distraught nursing and medical graduates continues to reverberate through the Catholic establishment. The blame, counter blame and political intrigue has reached Daniel Mannix levels.
Professor Zlatko Skrbis, vice chancellor of the Australian Catholic University.Credit: James Brickwood
But vice chancellor and chief executive Professor Zlatko Skrbis did not attend the controversial ceremony in Melbourne on Monday. The vice chancellor attended a lunch for de Bruyn earlier in the day. And chancellor Martin Daubney, KC, a former Queensland Supreme Court judge, also truanted.
Add this disaster to the questions in parliament and reports in The Australian that the ACU paid out more than $1 million to Professor Kate Galloway when she was “reassigned” from her dean of law role after daring to write about abortion law reform.
At the ceremony De Bruyn told outraged students that abortion was a “tragedy that must be ended” and the “single biggest killer of human beings in the world, greater than the human toll of World War II”.
It prompted a mass walkout of staff and students, after which Skrbis offered counselling and promised to refund students graduation costs.
“It was very unusual for the vice chancellor not to be there. Nobody can explain this,” a senior Catholic told CBD.
But an ACU spokeswoman said the university had seven campuses and multiple ceremonies and the chair of the academic board was the presiding officer on Monday. “It is not unusual for this role to be delegated by the chancellor to the pro chancellor, chair of academic board, the vice chancellor or one of the university’s senior executive,” she said.
“The chair of academic board was presiding officer at Monday afternoon’s ceremony.”
Yes, but this was also the awarding of an honorary doctorate at the invitation of the university senate.
“It was ACU’s decision. As was the stuff that ensued,” said a senior church source.
Fingers were starting to point at Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher and his supposed influence over the decision to honour de Bruyn.
Fisher is currently in Rome at a global synod, meaning he has a valid permission note for his non-attendance.
Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Sydney Chris Meney pushed back: “Honorary doctorates are recommended by the Honorary Awards Committee. The implication this process can be unduly influenced is insulting to any academic institution.
“It is a matter of public record that Dr de Bruyn has left an impressive legacy through his support of ordinary workers and vulnerable others including the defenseless unborn.”
Not to be left out, Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli (and ACU senate member) told CBD: “The unborn, the sick and dying, the elderly, those with disability, people experiencing homelessness, in fact all those on the margins or who have no voice, are owed the upholding of their lives and dignity.
“In a diverse, pluralistic society like Australia, it is important that we are able to engage respectfully in dialogue with those with whom we disagree. It is in this dialogue that trust, harmony and peace are built.
“A Catholic university is such a place where civil engagement on questions of the most vulnerable among us can be, and should be, entered into.”
And that, readers, is your thought for the day.
SENATOR SELLS
For all their bluster about being the “party of renters”, nearly half of all federal Greens MPs own investment properties, a factoid that no doubt fills Labor operatives with irrepressible glee.
Until recently, the political party’s landlord leaderboard was topped by deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi and senator Nick McKim, who both owned four properties apiece. Nice for some.
But there’s been a change at the top after Faruqi sold a four-bedroom house in Port Macquarie for $920,000, a smidge under the $1 million price guide when the property was first listed.
Still, it’s netted the senator and her husband a healthy profit, given the house was purchased for just $250,000 in 2001.
Last year, Faruqi floated plans to bulldoze a bunch of native trees and build two townhouses in a $1.5 million development approved by the council. But that plan appears to have been dumped, with the property now sold as is.
But Faruqi’s people maintained the senator remained committed to the fight against wealthy property investors despite her recent windfall.
“The Greens and I will keep pushing to end unfair tax breaks and make sure everyone has access to quality, affordable housing,” she told CBD.
BOWING OUT
Unlike the dramatic denouement to his tenure as ABC chair, Justin Milne’s service on the board of betting giant Tabcorp was a quiet affair.
After over a decade on the board, Milne, a non-executive director, retired on Wednesday, earning a glowing tribute from the company’s new chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
Milne, a former telco executive resigned as ABC chair days after managing director Michelle Guthrie was sacked, after a damaging series of reports that he’d pressured her to sack senior ABC journalists to keep his good mate, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, happy.
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