Topics: University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott, Senate inquiry into Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill, University of Melbourne alleged breach of privacy laws, support for an Islamophobia envoy.
Patricia Karvelas: Since the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza, pro-Palestinian encampments have become a sight on university campuses – or had. It’s now prompted the vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Mark Scott, to tell a Senate inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities that he had, quote, “Failed Jewish students who didn’t feel safe or welcome on campus”. Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson moved the private Senator’s bill that instigated this inquiry and joins us this morning. Senator, welcome to the program.
Senator Henderson: Patricia, great to join you.
Patricia Karvelas: What did you make of Mark Scott’s comments on Friday?
Senator Henderson: Well, firstly, I would say that it’s been a very long time, and it’s taken him a very long time for him to apologise. I did ask him why he if he believed he had failed Jewish students and staff, and he admitted that he had, and there is many reasons to apologise, Patricia, because at the University of Sydney, not only did the encampments fuel so much antisemitic hate and incitement, but there were many other incidents of shocking antisemitism which has forced Jewish students to choose between their education and their safety, as we heard on Friday, and that is a pretty distressing situation.
Patricia Karvelas: Universities have begun disciplinary action against students who participated in some of these sit-ins. What do you think should happen to students who were involved in protests?
Senator Henderson: Well, from the very beginning, I called on universities to enforce their own rules and their own misconduct framework and that didn’t happen and that’s why I’ve been so critical of the government and the education minister, Jason Clare, because he sat back while shocking antisemitic incidents were happening, not just at Sydney, but the University of Melbourne and at ANU and the government did simply not do enough. But that’s why we have, so desperately, pushed for a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities, because a judicial inquiry will provide the right sort of atmosphere for students to tell their story, a commissioner will be able to call for documents to be subpoenaed, compel witnesses to appear, and fundamentally provide recommendations to overhaul the policies of the universities. Because we’ve seen that not only other policies not good enough, but vice-chancellors were simply not willing to enforce their own rules, and that, of course, meant that this was a very, very unsafe place. Universities have been a very unsafe place for Jewish students and staff, and I’m afraid Patricia that does continue.
Patricia Karvelas: The University of Melbourne is being investigated for potentially breaching privacy laws, for using CCTV images and details from campus Wi-Fi log-ins to identify students. Are the university’s alleged actions proportionate, in your view?
Senator Henderson: Well, that investigation is being undertaken by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, so we will wait the outcome of that investigation. But let me just say that that is in the context of a building being occupied unlawfully for some 10 days where at the University of Melbourne, students were not able to attend the campus. In fact, the entire Parkville campus was shut down. And while I understand this investigation is underway, would there be an investigation in relation to technology being used to keep women safe on campus? So, if there was technology being used to stop sexual harassment or assault or other shocking conduct, would there be an investigation? So, I just very much hope that there is not a double standard here.
Patricia Karvelas: So, what do you hope to achieve? There are there’s obviously more to go with this inquiry. What is the ultimate aim at the end of this process?
Senator Henderson: The ultimate aim is to ensure that universities are a safe place for Jewish students and staff, and at the moment, they are not, and the evidence is overwhelming. We’ve heard from Jewish organisations, student groups, the National Union of Students, and, of course, the Albanese government’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, who has also backed a judicial inquiry. She says that the government’s response – which is a racism study run by the Australian Human Rights Commission – is simply not good enough. I’ve described it as woefully inadequate, actually, Patricia. And even more insulting about that so-called study is that the Human Rights Commission will not report until the 13th of June next year after the federal election. So that just goes to show the government’s failure to take this seriously. So that is why a judicial inquiry is so important, so we can fundamentally ensure that universities are a safe place for everyone, but particularly, of course, for Jewish students and staff.
Patricia Karvelas: Those encampments have largely ended. Now we’re at a different phase in terms of the political reaction in this country. Would you say that things have subsided? There’s been a shift?
Senator Henderson: Look they have subsided, but it was only after very major media focus, particularly on the University of Sydney, where the vice chancellor did not act when members of the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir hits up to here were on campus. And that is, frankly shocking. So it was really only after that was all over 60 minutes and the front pages of other Nine papers that the Sydney University started to take this seriously. And that is not good enough. And even last week, Patricia, there was an encampment that was set up at ANU, and within hours, the university took that down because of the harm these encampments are causing. Now, why didn’t universities act for weeks upon weeks when those encampments were fueling so much antisemitic hate and incitement? In fact, the vice chancellor at the time said this was a legitimate form of protest. He did not acknowledge the fact that this was not just discriminatory, not just fueling racial discrimination, but keeping students away, Jewish students away from their studies, but not just Jewish students, all students. And some of the other conduct has been just terrible. I mean, the barricading of Israeli academics in a room by pro-Palestinian protesters, there’s been no response to that. The invasion of classrooms, the photographing of Jewish students, the stalking of students, following Jewish students into a car park, the chanting of terrible slogans, the encouragement of children to chant `Intifada’ at a protest. I mean, there has been a litany of failures by universities, and it’s just not good enough. And it really is urgent, because we’ve seen this government and education minister Jason Clare not take this seriously at all. The Prime Minister is speaking out of both sides of his mouth, and they must have the moral courage to back a judicial inquiry so we can absolutely fix what is a shocking situation in this country.
Patricia Karvelas: Senator Henderson, the federal government didn’t announce a special envoy on Islamophobia on the same day it announced the envoy on antisemitism. It said, `Watch this space’. But we’ve been watching this space and there’s still no announcement. Do you support the announcement – it hasn’t happened yet – of a person to do this role?
Senator Henderson: Yes, I do. Because if there are – and we are told that there are – many incidents of Islamophobia, then that must also be tackled. But I don’t want there to be any suggestion of any false equivalence between antisemitism and Islamophobia on university campuses. Because what we have seen a shocking spate of antisemitic conduct, Patricia, and that’s why a judicial inquiry is so important.
Patricia Karvelas: Thanks for joining us this morning.
Senator Henderson: Thank you so much.