Staff members at the Australian National University (ANU) have voted to express no confidence in their Chancellor Julie Bishop, citing concerns over job cuts and leadership issues. The vote, organized by staff unions, asked employees about their confidence in both Bishop and Deputy Chancellor Genevieve Bell’s leadership. Of the more than 800 staff members who participated in the vote, an overwhelming 95 percent expressed their lack of confidence in their leadership. This development came shortly after Bishop had approved consultancy payments to a colleague using university funds.
The situation has gained particular significance as Julie Bishop, a former Australian Foreign Minister and current ANU Chancellor, was recently appointed as the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar in April 2024. Concurrent with her role as UN Special Envoy, Bishop has been serving as a strategic advisor to Energy Transition Minerals (ETM), an Australian-based company. This dual role has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, particularly given ETM’s connections to Chinese state-owned companies that are reportedly working with Myanmar’s military regime. Justice For Myanmar, a human rights advocacy group, revealed surprising links between Bishop’s company and Chinese state-owned enterprises operating in Myanmar, including Shenghe Resources and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which are involved in mining operations and development projects in the country.
In response to these concerns, 290 civil society organizations sent an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, requesting an investigation into Bishop’s potential conflicts of interest with Chinese state-owned companies. The letter emphasized that these connections raise serious concerns about the impartiality and independence required for a UN Special Representative. The appointment of Bishop as UN Special Envoy has faced criticism not only from regional activists but also from Australian human rights advocates, particularly regarding her stance on refugee issues during her political career.
While ANU’s Executive Officer Jonathan Churchill attempted to downplay the significance of the no-confidence vote, suggesting it didn’t represent the majority of the university’s nearly 5,000 staff members, Union President Alison Barnes strongly criticized the university council’s continued support for Bishop and Bell. She likened the mounting controversies at ANU to being ‘higher than the Telstra Tower,’ while condemning the leadership’s failure to take responsibility for poor management decisions. The situation has created significant implications for both the university’s reputation and governance structure, highlighting the complex intersection of academic leadership, international diplomacy, and corporate interests.
