Cory Bernardi SA, Australian Conservatives
4:56 pm
I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 871 standing in my name for today before asking that it be taken as a formal motion.
Leave granted.
I move the motion as amended:
That the Senate—
(a) notes the Australian National University’s (ANU) refusal to host the self-funded Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation on campus, notwithstanding that it already hosts centres promoting understanding of Islam and Asian cultures; and
(b) calls upon:
(i) the ANU to reconsider its opposition to hosting the Centre in the interests of celebrating Western civilisation's foundational contributions to Australia,
(ii) the Minister for Education and Training (Senator Birmingham), given that he said it would be a “great loss” if no university partners with the Centre – to assist in securing a location for the Centre, and
(iii) the government to consider making future higher education funding grants conditional on supporting academic freedom and freedoms of association and speech on university campuses.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
4:57 pm
I seek leave to make a short statement.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
It is a matter for higher-education institutions and their councils as to what funding they choose to accept or reject. In doing so, they need to be accountable in making those decisions to their students and to the taxpayers who sustain them with record funding of over $17 billion a year.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
Labor does not support this motion. Labor believes that academic freedom is one of the foundations of western civilisation. This academic freedom should apply to any request or donation to a university, whether it comes from an individual country, philanthropic organisation or corporation.
Sue Lines Deputy-President
The question is that general business notice of motion No. 871, as amended by Senator Bernardi, be agreed to.