00:00Well, the Australian National University, like so many universities around the country,
00:06have been facing increased financial pressures in recent years in an effort to reduce its
00:11annual expenditure by around $250 million.
00:15Last year they announced they'd begin a series of cuts and restructures which have been strongly
00:19opposed by the National Tertiary Education Union, the Student Union, and been the focus
00:24of significant media attention as well.
00:27As you say, Dr Allen was a member of the university's council.
00:30She resigned earlier this year, citing concerns about the leadership of the council, about
00:37the culture of the council, a lack of consultation, she says, and today before this Senate committee
00:43into the governments of higher education providers, she gave more detail about those concerns,
00:49saying that the council's culture was very different to the more egalitarian culture of
00:54the university more generally, giving an instance where in a meeting where she raised some concerns,
01:00she was simply dismissed and accused of leaking to the media.
01:04She says that in a later meeting with Chancellor Julie Bishop and another elected member of the
01:09council, she was again accused of leaking and threatened with some sort of legal investigation
01:15as well as with calling a journalist to confirm the leaking.
01:18And this, she says, caused her so much trauma that she contemplated suicide.
01:23So Harry, what have other witnesses told the inquiry?
01:26Well, the ANU's Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Churchill, he faced questions from the committee
01:32this afternoon. He said that Miss Bishop is currently engaged elsewhere on UN duties while the Vice-Chancellor,
01:39Genevieve Bell, who is expected to face the committee today, she's currently on sick leave.
01:44He says that the ANU has listened to some of the allegations made against it today and says
01:49that it will respond in time, in detail, in writing. As to the allegations from Miss Allen,
01:55they say that there's currently a grievance procedure on foot and as a result they can't comment directly.
02:02The public hearings will continue this afternoon. The ABC has contacted Miss Bishop for comment.
02:07Well, the ABC is now recorded.
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