Uni heads face tough questions
Committee members expressed frustration over his handling of controversial academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's social media posts.
Macquarie University vice-chancellor S. Bruce Dowton faced intense questioning at the parliamentary inquiry into campus antisemitism on Wednesday.
Committee members expressed frustration over his handling of controversial academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s social media posts.
Committee chair Josh Burns, Member for Macnamara, challenged Dowton over the university’s response to her statement that “if you are a Zionist, you have no claim or right to cultural safety” and that it was a duty to ensure “every space Zionists enter is culturally unsafe.”
While Dowton stated he did not agree with those statements at a personal level, he repeatedly cited privacy laws and employment agreements when pressed on what actions the university had taken.
He stated only that “conversations” had occurred through supervisory channels.
This prompted heated exchanges, with Burns arguing, “You are unwilling to make any public statements saying that you disagree with it, that you believe there is a problem here that is worth investigating.”
When Burns asked if any action had been taken against any staff if they had called for spaces to be unsafe, Dowton paused and said, “There’s no specific action that’s been taken against any staff member.”
The deputy chair of the inquiry, Henry Pike, MP for Bowman, was particularly critical of Dowton’s responses to Abdel-Fattah’s social media posts, including one stating, “May 2025 be the end of Israel,” and another changing her profile picture to a Palestinian paratrooper the day after October 7.
“This individual has been glorifying in the death of innocent Jews … and they enjoy earning a wage at your university. I’m just flabbergasted at your lack of response,” Pike said.
In contrast, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil opened with an unreserved apology for recent events at an anti-racism symposium – at which Abdel-Fattah also spoke.
She announced she had commissioned an independent review by John Middleton KC to investigate the event and make recommendations, which she committed to accepting in full.
“It is clear to me that one or more things went wrong here. Mistakes were made, and I’m confident we can and will do better to safeguard our community while strengthening our culture,” Sheil told the committee.
Burns replied, “We haven’t heard an apology yet in this committee, so that’s a first.”
Sheil said the inquiry was only commissioned on Tuesday this week, and could take 12 weeks or more, but is prepared to do something if any matters come up that need immediate action.
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