15th Mar 2021, 8:43 PM – Senate Higher Education Support Amendment (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2020 - in Committee - Commonwealth Government

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Victorian Senator Kim Carr (Labor), which means it failed.

What would the amendment do?

Senator Carr explained that the amendment:

The purpose of this amendment is to add a very simple term, 'or in relation to the Commonwealth government'. At schedule 1, item 4, there is a definition of academic freedom. The bill seeks to put in context what academic staff can look to in terms of academic freedom. It lists the freedom of academic staff to teach, discuss, research, disseminate and publish; the freedom of academic staff and students to engage in intellectual inquiry; and the freedom of academic staff and students to express their opinions in relation to the higher education provider in which they work or are enrolled. I wish to add the words 'or in relation to the Commonwealth government' so that staff or students can make their views known in relation to not just the education provider but also the Commonwealth government.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 24), at the end of paragraph (c), add "or in relation to the Commonwealth Government".