John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator O'Sullivan, I move:

That the Senate:

(a) acknowledges that Professor Gary Dowsett is:

(i) currently employed as Deputy Director at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, and

(ii) is the author of an article entitled, "Boiled Lollies and Bandaids: Gay men and Kids", in Gay Information Quarterly Journal (Spring 1982) in which he stated the following:

"And a new political position is needed for there are significant political struggles at stake. First we have three legal/social questions to win: custody rights for gay men and lesbians; the legal right of paedophiles and their young lovers; and finally the sexual rights of children as a whole...."

"How different then is that gentle, tentative sexuality between parent and child from the love of a paedophile and his/her lover? From all their accounts and from many academic studies (some worse than others) that kind of love, warmth, support and nurture is an important part of the paedophilic relationship. I am not saying that mothering/fathering is paedophilic; but I am saying they are not mutually exclusive..."

"...The current paedophilia debate is then crucial to the political processes of the gay movement: paedophiles need our support, and we need to construct the child/adult sex issue on our terms."

"We need to protect the youthful partners in paedophilia against the legal and social management systems which treats them as delinquents...";

(b) condemns:

(i) any statement that supports any form of legal rights or political freedoms for paedophiles, and

(ii) as "vulgar and reprehensible" Professor Dowsett's past statements regarding advocacy for paedophilia and any connection between parenting and sexual/paedophilic "pleasures";

(c) acknowledges that an overwhelming number of Australian parents would be concerned about any individual who has made past statements regarding advocacy for paedophilia to continue to be employed at any Australian university;

(d) calls on Professor Dowsett to publically explain:

(i) his past statements regarding advocacy for paedophilia, and detail his current beliefs specifically on the question of whether the LGBTI community should "support" paedophiles, and

(ii) whether his past statements regarding advocacy for paedophilia jeopardise his credibility among the parents of students at La Trobe University; and

(e) calls on La Trobe University to:

(i) provide a public explanation regarding why Professor Dowsett continues to be employed by La Trobe University, and continues to be afforded close contact with young people,

(ii) publically explain what due diligence has been undertaken—throughout any period of Professor Dowsett's employment at the University—to investigate what risk and/or impact Professor Dowsett's past statements and any current views held consistent with those statements, regarding paedophilia might place on the wellbeing of young students at its institution, and

(iii) immediately investigate the current status of Professor Dowsett's views.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Issues relating to child protection and child exploitation are serious and draw the rightful condemnation of members of this government. Universities enjoy autonomy to operate and freedom of thought within the regulatory framework. However, as recipients of taxpayer funding, universities must ensure they operate within the law and in accordance with the community's expectations.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I foreshadow that the opposition will be seeking to split the question on this motion and vote on parts (a) and (b) together and differently on parts (c), (d) and (e). Labor supports the first and second parts of this motion, condemning what Professor Dowsett wrote, in an article published 35 years ago, in support of the rights of paedophiles. However, Labor does not support parts (c), (d) and (e) of this motion, on the basis that to indirectly or directly call for specific actions against an individual, including for employment to be terminated, is not an appropriate use of the protections of parliamentary privilege in this instance, especially as that individual is outside of this parliament.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens will not support this motion. The motion is simply a rerun of attacks from 2016 against the integrity of a well-respected academic and the institution that employs him. As is so often the case, references from an article published 36 years ago have been removed from their context in order to confect a social outrage. La Trobe University has already made clear its support for Professor Dowsett, who across the breadth of his career has made a valuable contribution to the academic and intellectual life of this country.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that parts (a) and (b) of this motion be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

We now move to the second part of that motion. The question is that parts (c), (d) and (e) of this motion be agreed to.

Question negatived.