VC’s Comments on Newcastle Uni Legal Centre Continue Trend of Increasing Government Interferenc
20 July, 2005
In response to statements by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, Professor Nick Saunders, that the University of Newcastle Legal Centre should "change the balance of its activities", State Secretary of the NSW Division of the National Tertiary Education Union, Ms Chris Game, has joined staff of the Centre in criticising the Vice-Chancellor's statements.
"NTEU is most concerned at statements by the Vice-Chancellor that may be construed as direct interference in the role of University staff, and in particular the fundamental right of Academic Staff to engage in criticism of the policy of the Government of the day without fear or favour," said Ms Game.
"In particular the potential implication in Professor Saunders remarks that the Legal Centre, ‘may have to change the balance of its activities’ away from public advocacy gives rise to the fear that increasingly the University sector is following the broader Government agenda of silencing dissent."
"It is clear”, said Ms Game, "that the primary aim of the Government's efforts to legislate for so called Voluntary Student Unionism is so that political dissent from students be eliminated. The effect of the Vice-Chancellors statements about so called ‘balance of activities’ may have the same effect", said Ms Game.
"I salute the great role that the staff of the University of Newcastle Legal Centre have played in both high profile human rights cases such as the recent Cornelia Rau matter, and also recognise the significant achievement of Legal Centre Staff in developing fully rounded new law graduates who are ready to make their mark in their region, across Australia and further afield. It is only with a broad choice and diversity of courses that the University of Newcastle will be able to maintain its previous excellent reputation. NTEU calls on Professor Saunders to join with NTEU members at the University to demand more funding from the Federal Government to support quality education in the Hunter and Central Coast and not simply money to pay for redundancies” she said.
For further information and comment:
Ms Chris Game, State Secretary, NTEU (NSW), 0408 007 612