Uni head in vote drama
THE head of Deakin University Geelong has been accused by the Coalition for Marriage of pressuring staff and students to vote “yes” in the upcoming marriage plebiscite.
Deakin vice chancellor Jane den Hollander this week sent an email addressed to staff and students urging them to enrol to vote in the upcoming plebiscite.
The email, which called for debate or campaigning to be “respectful”, also stated Pro- fessor den Hollander planned to vote “Yes”.
The email said Deakin University recognised “the rights of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students and employees to learn, live and work, free of prejudice and discrimination, with all the essential freedoms enjoyed by other members of our University community and broader population”.
Prof den Hollander yesterday said the point of the email was to remind members of the Deakin community to treat each other with respect, whichever way they decided to vote.
“It is my view that Deakin staff and students are astute and thoughtful values-driven citizens and are more than able to make up their own minds based on the arguments they hear,” Prof den Hollander said.
“It is also the case that numerous people, including media outlets, have asked me how I intended to vote. I thought it best Deakin people heard my intention before it was printed in the media.”
The email was this week questioned by advocates of the “vote no” campaign, with a statement by the Coalition for Marriage labelling it a “warning shot” to staff and students.
“Once again, the threat of anti-discrimination complaints are used to silence those who disagree,” the statement said.
“The Vice Chancellor has fired a warning shot to staff and students who want to raise questions or concerns about proposed changes to the Marriage Act: they are not free to speak.”
Former Geelong Presbyterian minister, and Coalition for Marriage supporter, John Cromarty, also questioned the intention of the email.
“She’s not even treading a middle path. She’s coming out quite clearly and saying ‘this is what I’m voting’,” Mr Cromarty said. “Why would she say that?
“She’s just overstepping the mark.”
Mr Cromarty said he had already heard from some Deakin students that “the Christian position is vilified by lecturers”.
An anonymous letter, sent to the Geelong Advertiser along with a copy of Prof den Hollander’s email, claimed staff may have felt the email was an instruction on how to vote in the plebiscite.