As Peter McGregor noted in GLW #639, I recently resigned in protest from a committee of the federal government's National Health and Medical Research Committee (NHMRC) and called for a boycott by academics of government committees generally.I believe the current attack on our universities by the Commonwealth government has gone too far for me to continue to serve on any of its committees. I therefore resigned from the NHMRC committee I was on and refuse to work for the NHMRC in any capacity.
Many academics sit on advisory committees to help the government devise policy on all sorts of things - health, agriculture, economic policy, etc. I am urging my academic colleagues across the country to join me in boycotting these committees.
In resigning I also attempted to draw attention to the fact that on two occasions while on the committee, to two separate academic members, I expressed concern that each had suggested that the committee needed to "cut its cloth" of its recommendations to suit what the government might find acceptable. One of these comments was prompted by the fact that I had suggested a heading for the discussion we had just had as "social justice"! When academic scientists sitting on such committees, instead of giving frank and fearless advice, begin to think in terms of what is palatable to government, we are in a sorry mess.
I do not blame the two committee members for what they said. The comments are, however, symptomatic of the problems we face in academia in retaining and practising academic freedom under this government.
I subsequently wrote to Professor Alan Pettigrew, the CEO of the NHMRC. In reply, Professor Pettigrew stated that I had implied that members of the NHMRC's committees had been "directed to tailor their advice and recommendations to suit political considerations". I had never implied such a thing.
The NHMRC deliberately misconstrued my reasons for resigning. By doing this, the NHMRC got themselves off the hook and failed to address the substantive issue that I was raising.
What is pleasing is the very considerable support I have received from fellow academics for my stand.
We do need to be vigilant today in defence of academic freedom. For example, I find it very worrying, indeed scary, that federal education minister Brendan Nelson was recently jumping up and down about the freedom of the University of Western Sydney to invite whomsoever they wanted to talk on their campus, in this case former Guantanamo Bay inmate Mamdouh Habib. Minister Nelson, commenting on a forum on war, terrorism and civil liberties organised by the UWS students, said that he would seek an explanation from the vice-chancellor over Habib's appearance.
According to an August 24 news.com.au article, Nelson stated: "When I saw the report of that ...I immediately got on to the vice-chancellor's office out there at the University of Western Sydney ...to find out what on earth is going on."
It is ironic that the meeting Habib spoke at was on, among other things, civil liberties. Nelson might have learned a few things had he attended.
I have to wonder how often government ministers contact university vice-chancellors to get this or that stopped or investigated. I have it on high authority (but not directly from the vice-chancellor) that Amanda Vanstone rang my vice-chancellor to get me to shut up (although about what I do not know - it could have been many things). I heard nothing of this from my vice-chancellor - he believes in academic freedom.
Presumably, however, such ministerial contacting of vice-chancellors does sometimes result in a vice-chancellor trying to curb academic freedom. This is such dangerous territory. We must watch with interest what the UWS vice-chancellor does or does not do in the wake of Nelson's inquiry into "what on earth is going on" at UWS.
By Gavin Mooney posted 9 September 05
[Gavin Mooney is professor of health economics, director of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group at Curtin University in Perth and co-convenor of thhe WA Social Justice Network]
Green Left Weekly
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Is this our most dangerous Newspaper?
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HOSTAGES OF THE WAR ON TERROR
This forum will bring together legal representatives and victims of counter-terror, along with justice campaigners and organisations in order to share strategies for achieving justice for these men and the many other like them.
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If he'd been given his passport he'd be a free man
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Trial by unrelated video clips
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John HoWARd, Alexander Downer, Phillip Ruddock, Robert Hill, to name just a few....HOW DO YOU PLEAD?
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Innocent witch verballed by federal fascists!
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Innocent Victorian man held in custody for Xmas?!
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Rubish, just plain propaganda, fear-mongering, draconian nonsence from the HoWARd goverment's war agenda stink tank.
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Ruddock foreshadows new terrorism laws
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Community seeks more power to interrogate ASIO suspects
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Lawyer claims Al Qaeda suspect's evidence tainted!
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A Victorian man has been remanded in custody after being charged with terrorism offences, including having links to Al Qaeda?
Melbourne man charged over ASIO links
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A court has been told Joseph Thomas is a sleeper? ZZZ! Melbourne Australia: A court has been told that Osama bin Laden asked a Melbourne man to become a "sleeper" in Australia before undertaking activities for the Al Qaeda network? Munchkins: "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead."
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Four Corners [Walls]: Terrorist - or Taunted by the Australian Defence Force who sacked him as a cleaning contractor? Who is Mamdouh Habib? And why was he harassed by the Australian Federal Police? Then tagged and labelled as a spy? Why was he vilified by the community? When he fled to Pakistan how did he end up being tortured in Egypt? And how did he end up at Guantanamo prison camp reserved for the men America calls "the worst of the worst.
He was an undercover agent for the blues
He was my journalist, he was working undercover. The fellow knew all of the moves.... He really had me romping, bare footing stomping. He just kept igniting my fuse....
Up there Khasali: Innocent man new bail laws
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HEY! BIG BROTHER? LET INNOCENT PEOPLE GO!
Young men terrorised, tortured, and threatened with charges for no crime by Australia mate the lucky country. Lucky if you're not used for Howard's FEDERAL ELECTION and George Dubya's WAR ON LIBERTY! Who shot liberty? IGNORANCE!
Keelty foresees more terrorism
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty says terrorist groups will continue to find new ways to threaten countries.
Islamic movement denies links to Al Qaeda
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2nd Renaissance -10 The War on Witches [150]
In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued a Papal Bull that became the rationale for establishing the Inquisition in Germany. The following excerpt from the Bull sets out the official view of the danger of witches to the community. The Bull and this this passage provided the sole excuse for the torture and cruel executions that were, ultimately, to be the fate of up to fifty percent of the population of some villages.
