Topics: ABC investigation, student misconduct referrals, international students getting a free pass, Jillian Segal AO as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism criticism of universities and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Peta Credlin: We’ll get to your portfolio in a moment, Sarah, but you’ve worked at the ABC, how concerned are you by these allegations? Because I have to say, I listened to Michelle Rowland, the Minister for Communications, today, she said she would seek a briefing. Now I was gobsmacked. We’re now on Wednesday, she hasn’t already had her briefing. Well, you haven’t heard from the ABC chairman. We’ve had a pretty weak response where he dodged the issue from the new CEO or the acting CEO of the ABC. There should be an independent inquiry, surely?
Senator Henderson: Peta, good evening. There certainly must be a full investigation into what has happened because not only does it compromise the trust that Australians must have in the ABC, let’s not forget that Australians spend more than $1 billion on the ABC. It should be a news provider of absolute repute. And what’s happened in doctoring audio, which has reflected on Australian soldiers, and in running the shocking campaign against Heston Russell, falsely accusing him of being a war criminal. I mean, heads have got to roll. And I worked at the ABC, Peta, as you know, for nine years, and back then, which was more than 20 years ago, if you made mistakes like this there would be a very urgent investigation and correction, but so far, we’ve heard from the head of news in current affairs, Justin Stevens, that he’s exonerated his reporter and team when we don’t even know the facts. Frankly, it’s just completely unacceptable and Australians deserve much better.
Peta Credlin: Not wrong I tell you why, I worked for Richard Alston. Richard Alston would have already had the chairman in on something like this. Let’s go to your portfolio…
Senator Henderson: Just on that though, I’m sorry, I was just going to say in question time today, I called on the government to condemn the ABC for what it has done, and it refused to do so. So, seeking a briefing is absolutely pathetic, and you’re right. On our watch, this would not happen. We would demand the highest standards of journalism. We would demand that the ABC be condemned for what it has done and correct the record and own up to these shocking mistakes. So, the government’s response from the minister is absolutely woeful.
Peta Credlin: Let’s go to your portfolio, there’s information out there now that says a majority – this is in relation to international students – that a majority of university misconduct referrals come from international students. In the case of Sydney University, it makes up nearly 80 per cent of their cases. Now many of these cases are connected to cheating, a growing number are linked to the use of artificial intelligence. There’s fears the government’s international student cap will only make the problem worse, as high-quality students will look to study overseas. Now we’ll leave that second point for the moment. We’ll get to that, because that’s the whole debate about population. But with a real problem here, because of the dollars involved in this cohort, international students, are we just turning a blind eye to this misconduct?
Senator Henderson: Well this is very concerning, and at the Group of Eight universities – so universities like Sydney and Melbourne where the number of foreign students is very high – I do believe that educational outcomes are being severely compromised when Australian students are being asked to work with many students in a classroom or a tutorial setting where foreign students can barely speak English. That’s not good for anyone, and particularly for Australian students. So, I have called on the government to get back-to-basics, to start to focus on educational outcomes at universities. And this data is just further evidence of that. We need to ensure that we have the highest standards in our universities and unfortunately, Peta, the rivers of gold that are derived from foreign students – $1.5 billion was earned by the University of Sydney last year – that is compromising educational excellence at our universities and that is not good enough.
Peta Credlin: Sarah, you’d be aware of the stories as I am that foreign students never get failed anymore. The cost they pay basically guarantees them a bare minimum of a pass degree?
Senator Henderson: Look, I’m hearing some really concerning stories about this, Peta – academics put under pressure to pass students and I’ve heard one terrible story where an academic went to fail a number of students because they simply couldn’t even write properly, let alone pass the subject, and that particular academic was threatened with a racism investigation. Basically, his whole livelihood was under threat. And I’m hearing these stories, and frankly, the dollars are getting in the way of the appropriate educational outcomes and that is really concerning. So, this is simply not good enough. So apart from, of course, the fact that this government has allowed foreign students to run out of control in this country, we are also seeing our educational outcomes, the so-called best universities really compromise in the sort of education they are delivering.
Peta Credlin: I’m just about out of time, but I know you’ve got an update from Jillian Segal, who is the Special Envoy in relation to counter antisemitism. She reckons that the universities are in absolute denial?
Senator Henderson: Yes, she gave very important evidence into our Senate inquiry into the bill, which is all about establishing a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities. She says the work of the vice-chancellors is not good enough and she’s also condemned the government for its decision to commission the Australian Human Rights Commission to conduct a racism study. She says Jewish Australians do not have faith in the Human Rights Commission, and it’s all the more reason to have a proper judicial inquiry. So very important evidence from Jillian Segal and we’ll have a full hearing in Canberra on Friday.