All is not well

The recent incident involving the respected trade unionist, Joe de Bruyn is the latest manifestation of the battle raging for the very ethos and future direction of the Australian Catholic University. An earlier incident involved the hiring of Professor Kate Galloway as the Dean of Law, only to have her contract paid out when it was revealed that her views on abortion were contrary to Church teachings. According to the university, she was ‘reassigned to a new role’ and paid over 1 million dollars! This was from a university which ran a $35 million deficit in 2023.

 The Joe de Bruyn saga raises many questions. It has been publicly stated that Mr de Bruyn was asked to send a copy of his address to the ACU by the end of September, which he did. He was informed that while the university would not censor his proposed remarks, it did ask him to reconsider the sensitivity of some of them. The ceremony, at which he was awarded an honorary doctorate went ahead. None of the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor or the Vice-Chancellor were present. The chair of the academic board presided.  Mr de Bruyn was awarded his degree, graduation was bestowed on students and at the end of proceedings, Mr de Bruyn spoke. It was during this speech - after the graduations - that some staff and students walked-out, not all at once, but by groups and individuals over the course of the speech.

 Mr de Bruyn outlined his 50-year career in the Union and Labor movement, indicating that he had stood up for Catholic values - and how he had eventually failed to win the day. Many others have served in similar long-term roles; the notable difference for which he was awarded the honorary doctorate by ACU presumably was his defence of Christian values.

 The reaction of a group of students and others from the ACU to the speech was not just bad mannered but a betrayal of the values that universities are designed to impart. Mr de Bryun’s alleged offence is that he said there were too many abortions; that he believed that marriage was between a man and a woman; and it was wrong to provide IVF to single women. How outrageous! The first two assertions have been core principles of the Catholic Church for 2000 years. But now some object to a well-known Catholic, reiterating Catholic values at a Catholic university, the motto of which is ‘Truth in love.’

 His narrative was summarised in some advice to the new graduates: ‘As happened to me, you will be faced with issues in your professional and personal lives where the general opinion of the majority of the population is at odds with the teaching of the church. My experience is that many Catholics cave into peer pressure. They think their professional lives will be harmed if they promote the teaching of the church; my experience is that this is not so; despite my views on some issues being at odds with the views of my contemporaries over the past 50 years, it never affected my career at all.’

 Within a very short period of his speech, the university issued a statement. It insisted that Mr de Bruyn was ‘expressing his personal views!’ It added: “The university understands that many of our staff, graduates and their families disagreed with the content of Mr de Bruyn’s speech, and we regret that this occurred.’ What exactly did they regret, I wondered. The answer became clear soon after. ‘While his views may not be shared by some of our staff and students, as a university we encourage the respectful exchange of ideas that represent the wide spectrum of our diverse community.’ And then came the offer to refund the expenses of the students who had graduated. What was disrespectful?

 How about a more robust defence of free speech and the encouragement of all opinion, not surrender to the woke left. Perhaps: ‘The reaction of a group of students and others from the Australian Catholic University to a speech by Joe de Bruyn was not just bad mannered but a betrayal of the values that universities are designed to impart. The University apologises to Mr de Bruyn for the disrespectful conduct of some attendees. As John Henry Newman asserted in his Idea of a University: “A University is a place … where students come from every quarter for every kind of knowledge; … a place for the communication and circulation of thought … It is a place where inquiry is pushed forward … discoveries verified and perfected, and … error exposed, by the collision of mind with mind, and knowledge with knowledge. … Thus is created a pure and clear atmosphere of thought, which the student also breathes.” We apologise to Mr de Bruyn because we have seemingly failed to educate some students to respectfully allow the civil “collision of mind with mind and knowledge with knowledge” and their intolerance of views other than their own.’

 I have known Joe de Bruyn for many years. He is one of the most decent individuals that I have encountered in public life. Some students - having walked out of his acceptance speech - want the Honorary Doctorate stripped from him. This would be a cowardly travesty.

 Many people are now asking questions. The University could help to clarify the matter by answering some questions, such as: Was Mr de Bruyn’s speech provided to anyone prior to its delivery, including the media or any staff members? Was his speech at the end of the graduation ceremony, and if so, why did the university refund the students and staff after conferring degrees – who then chose to leave? Was Mr de Bruyn told that his speech had been moved to the end of the ceremony? When was the university’s statement drafted and released? Was there any formal consultation with the university Senate about the response?

 The de Bruyn incident appears to be part of a larger campaign. Suggestions have been made to change the Constitution of the university. Other attempts to change the statutes have been mooted. There changes would dilute the authority of the bishops. The Constitution already provides that ‘the Senate …. may make Statutes for . . . the method of appointment or election of members of the Senate.’ A possible consequence of this is: change the statutes, change the Senate, change the university. 

 Catholic bishops are known to have serious concerns. The time to act is now. The bishops have their Plenary meeting in November. If they haven’t, they should schedule a meeting of the university shareholders to discuss the matter. If they wait any longer, the university will have become another woke, secular institution, Catholic in name only.

First published in the Spectator Australia.