Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (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

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) 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

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

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 871, as amended by Senator Bernardi, be agreed to.