Julie Bishop berated, laughed at and blocked academic leaving room, Senate inquiry hears
'I cannot tell you just how traumatising this was for me. It affected me so deeply that on the drive home, I decided to kill myself. And I pulled over to write final goodbyes to my children and my partner. I emailed my supervisors so they knew I hadn't done anything wrong. A call from my husband stopped me taking my life.'
Allen quit her post on the council earlier this year because she believed that press releases put out on behalf of the university's council were 'factually incorrect'.
She told the hearing she lodged a workplace complaint after the February incidents but the human resources department told her boss she 'simply needed to reframe my thinking'.
'She implied I had mental health problems and dismissed the dysfunction of council,' Allen said. 'But yet further bullying and threats occurred.'
Allen also outlined a series of concerns around conflicts of interest pertaining to council members, including her allegation that Bishop had failed declare her association to Murray Hansen's firm, Vinder Consulting, to the university council.
The academic's comments were made in a Senate hearing investigating the quality of governance at Australian higher education providers.
The hearing also heard that staff suspected of leaking to the media have been interrogated, tracked on CCTV, and their email inboxes have been searched.
Its controversial vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell had overseen a culture of fear and intimidation, National Tertiary Education ACT division secretary Dr Lachlan Clohesy told the inquiry.
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'I mean, the vice chancellor told a senior leadership group meeting that she would hunt down leakers. That is just language which I think is appalling in a public sector institution or any workplace, really,' he said.
Bell has previously told The Australian Financial Review she did not remember saying that. 'Not in those precise words, no,' she told the publication.
Clohesy said there was a culture of fear and intimidation at the university.
'Staff are having their emails searched and monitored. Staff are being hauled into meetings at short notice and questioned about leaks. And leadership are using CCTV footage from within buildings to surveil and investigate staff.'
ANU vice chancellor Genevieve Bell has faced calls to resign over a series of scandals, including that she kept a paid role with Intel while working at the university.
Australian National University Students' Association President Will Burfoot – who was also on the university council – told the hearing decisions made by ANU was having a direct impact on students.
'With so many people in the class, they are forced to sit on the ground … Students are angry that their time at university is getting worse and that there's been no meaningful consultation on the cuts or the university's future direction. Make no mistake, the ANU is in crisis.'
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