Election to endorse NTEU candidate to ANU Council

ANU Branch members of the NTEU considering nomination to be elected to the vacant ANU Council Academic Staff (Faculties) role on ANU Council have been invited to seek union-endorsement of their nomination.  

This vacancy is a consequence of the resignation of Dr Liz Allen from ANU Council following the Vote of No Confidence in ANU leadership. Liz is a person of tremendous character, principles and integrity and on behalf of the union we congratulate Liz for her service on Council.
Candidates and their statements are below.
Given the circumstances in which this casual vacancy arises, we have requested the assistance of NTEU member and ANU politics expert Dr Marija Taflaga* to develop some further questions about how each candidate would approach their role on Council. You can find these questions, and candidate responses, further down the page.
The voting process will be conducted by OpaVote, and members will receive instructions by email.

Dr Amelia Dale  Prof Penny Kyburz   Dr Francis Markham  Prof Sasha Mikheyev  Prof Rohan Pitchford
         
Statement:

I am a member of the ANU NTEU Branch Committee. As an ECR, I am committed to supporting sessional and fixed term staff. If elected to ANU Council I will be a committed advocate for the most vulnerable workers at ANU and will work closely with the NTEU to fight for more accountability, transparency and democracy in the governance of our university.  

I am convenor of ANU's English Program, former Secretary-Treasurer of the Romantic Studies Association of Australasia and have convened ANU's English Honours program. I have published widely on British literature and culture of the long eighteenth century. 
 Statement:

I am a Professor in ANU Computing, where I have worked for over 6 years as a transdisciplinary researcher and educator in the field of human-computer interaction.

Prior to ANU, my diverse career path spanned industry, government, entrepreneurship, and academia. I have served as an ANU NTEU Branch Committee member, delegate, and member of the ANU NTEU Women’s Action Network, as well as a NECTAR custodian, and Chair of the ANU Family Friendly Committee.

As a member of the ANU Council, I will champion diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, internal cohesion, and socially and environmentally responsible engagements and practices.

Statement:

A DECRA Fellow in POLIS: The Centre for Social Policy Research, I was educated at ANU with degrees in Computer Science, Politics and Geography. My policy research works towards reforms to gambling regulation and Indigenous public policy. 

If elected, I will:

  • Scrutinise the ANU accounts and advocate for greater financial transparency
  • Prioritise working conditions and long-term investment in our greatest asset, ANU staff
  • Share Council information as openly as ANU rules permit
  • Host monthly forums to gather feedback and input on major decisions
  • Advocate for reforms to bring back collegial governance and financial probity.
 Statement:

I am an evolutionary biologist studying how pathogens arise and spread. For the past six years, I’ve also served as Associate Dean (International) in the College of Science, building connections between Australia and the world. I am passionate about making universities work for their students and staff.

Before ANU, I was among the first hires at a new Japanese university, where I helped develop governance systems and hire a diverse faculty.

On Council, I would aim to build bridges between faculty and administration, fostering trust, transparency, and open communication — especially during challenging times.		 Statement:

I am Rohan Pitchford, Professor of Economics at ANU and graduate of the PhD program at MIT. I have a long-standing commitment to the academic integrity and financial health of this university.

I have taken a close interest in the ANU budget. While recognising that financial management is an evolving challenge for any institution, I do not believe that the current fiscal situation justifies the extent of the change management measures being proposed. The ANU is not insolvent nor is it near insolvency.

The budget remains fundamentally sound, and we are fortunate that ANU enjoys considerable financial strength.


Questions to Candidates from Dr Marija Taflaga

  1. An open letter signed by almost 500 ANU staff members asked for more transparency around the ANU's finances. The University has responded, but the original letter writers and the ACT NTEU argue that many questions remain unanswered. Are you running on a platform that will specifically advocate for the release of more information about the university's financial state?
  2. Last month the union held an overwhelming ballot of no confidence in the university's leadership. Are you running on a platform that reflects union members expressed view with how the change management process has unfolded to date?
  3. Are there any circumstances where you would consider resigning from Council?
  4. There has been debate about the role of sexism and/or the operation of power in relation to the university's leadership. This has been a matter of discussion within the union, what is your view?
  5. There is currently a Senate Inquiry underway into university governance. Are there reform ideas that you would be willing to advocate for or are you satisfied with the status quo? 

Responses to Questions:

*Dr Marija Taflaga is a Senior Lecturer at The Australian National University. Marija is a comparative political institutionalist, specialising in Australian politics . She holds two Australian Research Council Grants on Australian political careers and parliamentary speech. She is also part of cross-national European Research Council funded project investigating how politicians evaluate public opinion. She is co-host of the Australian Politics Democracy Sausage podcast.


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