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senate vote 2021-03-15#7
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2022-07-15 08:15:59
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Title
Bills — Higher Education Support Amendment (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2020; in Committee- Higher Education Support Amendment (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2020 - in Committee - Extend beyond 'academic staff'
Description
<p class="speaker">Mehreen Faruqi</p><p>by leave—I move Greens amendments (1) to (4) on sheet 1127 together:</p>-
- The majority voted against an [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-15.173.1) introduced by NSW Senator [Mehreen Faruqi](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/mehreen_faruqi) (Greens), which means it failed.
- ### What do the amendments do?
- Senator Faruqi [explained the amendments](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-15.173.1):
- > *These amendments will ensure that the academic freedom provisions apply not only to those university workers who are considered academic staff but to those across the institution who may undertake academic activities, including teaching, scholarship and research. As I said in my speech on the second reading, at a modern university much academic work is undertaken by others in the university system who may not be classified as or considered academic staff. They can include research assistants and other professional staff who may from time to time deliver lectures, engage in research or otherwise contribute to the academic activities of the institution. These amendments will extend the academic freedom provisions to more people doing academic work on our campuses and not necessarily confine their operation to a limited cohort of university workers.*
- ### Amendment text
- > *(1) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 16), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".*
- >
- > *(2) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 18), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".*
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- > *(3) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 22), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".*
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- > *(4) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 25), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".*
<p class="italic">(1) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 16), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".</p><p class="italic">(2) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 18), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".</p><p class="italic">(3) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 22), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".</p><p class="italic">(4) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 25), omit "academic staff", substitute "staff engaged in academic activities".</p><p>I foreshadowed these amendments in my speech in the second reading debate. These amendments will ensure that the academic freedom provisions apply not only to those university workers who are considered academic staff but to those across the institution who may undertake academic activities, including teaching, scholarship and research. As I said in my speech on the second reading, at a modern university much academic work is undertaken by others in the university system who may not be classified as or considered academic staff. They can include research assistants and other professional staff who may from time to time deliver lectures, engage in research or otherwise contribute to the academic activities of the institution. These amendments will extend the academic freedom provisions to more people doing academic work on our campuses and not necessarily confine their operation to a limited cohort of university workers. I commend the amendments to the Senate.</p> <p class="speaker">Kim Carr</p><p>These amendments would expand the scope of academic freedom protection to all staff who engage in academic work beyond what their substantive employment classification would normally be. These amendments are practical ones. They have been moved on the basis that they ensure academic freedom applies based on the nature of the work being undertaken, not on the way in which the staff are actually classified. We know that many workers in our universities are employed as professional staff, whether they be in university laboratories or in libraries, and that they engage themselves in research projects and the like; therefore Labor will support these amendments and the proposition that lies behind them.</p> <p class="speaker">Jane Hume</p><p>The government does not consider that the Greens amendments would broaden the scope of academic staff in relation to academic freedom principles and policies beyond what is already provided for in the bill. The government expects that all universities will adopt and implement the model code and that its principles and definitions will flow down into all other university policies, and this includes the broad definition of academic staff proposed by Mr French, which is that academic staff are 'all those who are employed by the university to teach and/or carry out research and extends to those who provide, whether on an honorary basis or otherwise, teaching services and/or conduct research at the university'.</p><p>Universities themselves have committed to adopt the model code. The government is confident that universities understand academic freedom applies to all academic activity, not just to staff who may be narrowly designated as academic staff within an enterprise agreement. The government will not be supporting these amendments.</p><p class="italic">The CHAIR: The question is that the amendments (1) to (4) on sheet 1127 as moved by Senator Faruqi be agreed to.</p> -
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