MP backs ANU academics after council members resign

“Assistant minister and ACT MP Andrew Leigh has reassured parents that their children can still get a great education at the Australian National University (ANU) despite years of job losses and controversy. Mr Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, was a professor of Economics at the ANU from 2004 to 2010. In a National Press Club address on Wednesday, the MP, whose electorate sits in northern ACT, backed the academics at the ANU, who have endured a $250 million restructure that included forced redundancies. “Like anyone else in the Canberra community, I’ve been troubled by what I've seen at the Australian National University, he said. “It remains a great institution. There are many terrific faculty there and I would encourage any parents watching with a kid in Year 12, who are thinking about where that child should go, to consider the Australian National University. “It has a range of first-class scholars, clearly the best philosophy department in Australia, great strengths in areas such as physics and even some good economists. Dr Leigh was a professor at the ANU School of Economics. Picture: NPC/Fernanda Pedroso. “But it has clearly taken some blows over the course of the last year. I would leave it to the independent regulator, TEQSA, in terms of the specific interventions that are in place.” The ANU Research School of Economics includes a number of respected economists such as Emeritus Professor Bruce Chapman, who has worked at the university since 1984 and co-constructed the HECS-HELP student repayment scheme. Professor Alison Booth, an expert in labour economics and its impact on behaviour and culture, also works at the school. Notwithstanding, ANU cut hundreds of academics and many study areas in its Renew ANU restructure . Its leadership has also been hollowed out after six council members, including chancellor Julie Bishop, resigned over what they claimed was ‘regulatory overreach’ by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). More on this story: Insufficient evidence for Renew ANU, audit finds | Top universities fall in latest rankings | ICAC investigates alleged corruption at UOW A majority of the ANU council voted in favour of a voluntary undertaking to allow TEQSA to recommend the strongest candidate to be the next ANU chancellor. Julie Bishop resigned after TEQSA accepted a voluntary undertaking voted on by ANU council. Picture: Martin Ollman. “I understand that council has met tonight and failed to agree on any action to prevent TEQSA from continuing to usurp council by undertaking the functions that council is obliged to perform and should not delegate to TEQSA,” Ms Bishop said in relation t this in her resignation letter. “In these circumstances, I cannot remain as chancellor or a member of council given council is now acting in a manner inconsistent with its governing legislation, the ANU Act. “I do not consider it possible for me to continue to preside over a Council where such significant legal concerns have been raised about our ability to meet our legal and governance obligations and where in my view the regulator is acting ultra vires. ” TEQSA has said it will devise a mostly independent selection panel and recommend the strongest candidate to the ANU council. The regulator said its actions will remain in line with the Australian National University Act 1991 , as the ultimate decision to select the next chancellor will be left to the governing council. However, former Chief Justice of Western Australia Wayne Martin, who also resigned from the council over TEQSA’s actions, accused TEQSA of forcing council to request the voluntary undertaking. “I digress to observe that the fact that the council cannot nominate the so-called council nominees on the committee eloquently demonstrates the farcical euphemisms that are used in the council’s dealings with TEQSA, along with the use of ‘voluntary’ to describe an undertaking obtained by coercive unlawful threats,” his resignation letter said. “These euphemisms are obviously designed to obscure the fact the TEQSA has taken complete control.” Former ANU council member Rob Whitfield. Picture: John Feder. Former ANU council member Tanya Hosch. Picture: Matt Loxton. Transurban and CommBank board member Rob Whitfield, who is also a former chair of the NSW Treasury Corporation, former NSW Treasury secretary and a former Westpac chief executive, resigned over what he labelled “dysfunctional” behaviour. “Recent dysfunctional behaviour by council members and senior executives in management have led me to consider my position untenable,” his resignation letter said. “I am no longer in a position to properly fulfil the duties and responsibilities of these important roles.” Former AFL executive and Indigenous social activist Tanya Hosch also resigned, citing a lack of commitment to Indigenous representation in decision making. “This is the second time that I have resigned my term as a council member from a university due to a lack of due commitment and recognition of the importance and priority to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in decision making,” her resignation letter said. ”I do not accept it should be within the entire control of non-Indigenous people to determine the criteria under which an Indigenous person can participate.” However, she said the ANU can recover from its tumultuous few years. ”I recognise events over the past few years have taken an extraordinary toll on everyone connected with and part of ANU communities. I am sorry for the harm and hurt that has been caused to many,” she wrote. ”I had hoped my departure from ANU could be under far more respectful terms. Regardless, I do believe that ANU can recover from this unprecedented period of harm and wish all involved in this careful work, the very best.”

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