Senator Pocock’s Motions for ANU to Produce Key Documents Fail to Pass the Senate

By Sarah McCrea 

“The ‘No’s’ have it” was the phrase of the afternoon in the Senate. On Monday 25 August, Senator David Pocock moved four motions (items 76, 77, 79, and 80) relating to the provision of documents from the ANU to the Senate. 

Every motion failed to pass, with Labor and Coalition senators alike opposing the motions. 

All motions were moved by Senator David Pocock and fell under the category of ‘Order for the production of documents.’

The first ordered for the provision of the budgets of all colleges at ANU, the allocation of these finances, and the reasoning behind this. 

In his statement on this item, Senator Paul Scarr, speaking for the Coalition, noted the controversies surrounding ANU. He stated “the opposition also notes that an active workplace dispute was, in our respectful view, inappropriately publicised in a 12 August Senate Committee hearing.”

Senator Scarr said the Coalition would not be supporting the motion, expressing “the conduct of that dispute may be impacted by the passage of these motions” and that “the opposition would not wish to deny natural justice to the complainant or anyone else.”

On 12 August, 2025, a Senate hearing into the “Quality of governance at Australian higher education providers” saw several complaints made against ANU leadership. 

During the hearing, Dr Liz Allen accused Chancellor Julie Bishop of “bullying” and “harassment”. Later in the hearing, ANU Chief Operating Officer Jonathon Churchill confirmed there was a “current grievance procedure against the University initiated by Dr. Allen.” 

Senator Gallagher, representing the Labor party, stated, “the government will not be supporting these motions today”. 

She confirmed the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) was appointing an independent expert to investigate complaints made against ANU leadership. Further, relevant policy-makers would be briefed by TEQSA on the situation later this week . 

The motion was resolved in the negative, with 16 ‘Aye’s’ and 27 ‘No’s.’

The second motion regarded the provision of staff survey results, used to inform Renew ANU policy. 

In a statement discussing the motion, Senator Mehreen Faruqi stated, “Senators in this chamber and the world out there know quite well that the ANU is rife with scandals, with budgetary mismanagement, with staff being bullied, with secrets being kept from staff.

“Here we have Labor and the Coalition – and I’m sure Senator Pocock will agree with me – running a protection racket for the Executive of the ANU. It is absolutely shameful.”

This motion also failed to pass, with 16 in the affirmative and 26 in the negative. 

The third motion related to the provision of documents surrounding an alleged breach in Council confidentiality made in a university-wide online newsletter this year. 

It was resolved in the negative, once more with 16 ‘Aye’s’ and 26 ‘No’s’. 

The fourth and final motion requested documents on ANU’s budget forecasts. Again, it failed to pass the Senate, with 16 ‘Aye’s’ and 26 ‘No’s.’

Senator Pocock later made a statement on social media, stating: “Labor & the Coalition have teamed up today to run a political protection racket instead of putting the interest of the staff and students at ANU first.”

The statement concluded that it was “unfathomable that Labor would side with university leadership over the staff and students desperate for transparency.”

Although these motions may have failed, the ongoing Senate Inquiry into higher governance – with a strong focus on ANU – is going ahead. TEQSA investigations into the university are also continuing. 

Observer will continue to report as this story develops. 

Graphics by Shé Chani

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