The Senate Education and Employment committee heard from ANU on Friday – Julie Bishop took the heat and Rebekah Brown stayed cool.
Labor Senator Tony Sheldon went in hard, asking Ms Bishop, about her spending and responsibility for the now cancelled restructure which she batted away – yes, she did deploy the death stare.
Greens Mehren Faruqi also had a go but Ms Bishop stuck to rejecting allegations and stating she has the support of council. The Chancellor could have felt she was back in Question Time.
In contrast, Liberal Senators Dave Sharma and Maria Kovacic asked Ms Bishop about ANU achievements, which she answered at time-devouring length.
The kindest question of the afternoon was for Interim DVC Rebekah Brown, from Queensland Labor Senator Corinne Mulholland who asked if ANU would adopt the Senate committee on university governance’s interim recommendations (covering membership of councils, consultation with university communities and regulatory oversight). Why yes, she replied, not only had she read them but ANU meets some of them already.
And as for the one about “meaningful consultation for major change proposals, including involvement from staff and students prior to decisions being made,” Professor Brown said she was on to it – that she is talking to the 70-member university-leadership group and that there will be a charter to discuss with the union.
There were more questions but none that beat the batters. They are now waiting for the Briggs, Thom, TEQSA, Australian National Audit Office and Comcare inquiries, which may, or may not, bowl bouncers that are harder to beat.