2GB – Ray Hadley Morning Show

Subjects: Labor Lies; University Courses EO&E........................................................................................................................................... Ray Hadley: Christopher, G’day Christopher Pyne: Good morning Ray. Hadley: I know you’ve been briefed, albeit briefly about the story I’m talking about. I had a long conversation with a parent very concerned about the actions of a lecturer at the Ourimbah Campus of the University of Newcastle, this happened before the election was called, where the lecturer told a gathering of young people, who in the main will be voting for the first time, that a vote for anyone other than Labor will probably see the course which they’re undertaking discontinued in 2014. Now the kid came home to Dad and said I know that the place is crook and you shouldn’t be voting Labor, but you know our lecturer has told us that we probably won’t be uni next year if we vote for anyone else. Pyne: Well obviously it’s completely unprofessional and it’s entirely false and academics have a responsibility to shed light on young minds for education, not to fill their heads with total bulldust and if a Coalition Government is elected we certainly won’t be going around universities closing down individual courses and to suggest that is the case is totally false. Hadley: But just in a general view, this doesn’t something which you’ve got no control of, I’ve spoken often enough particularly about the impressionable minds of Year 10 and Year 11 students. It’s happening you know more and more in schools that get more attention drawn to, where teachers who obviously have a certain view of the world, which is different from my view and perhaps different from your view try to grab hold of impressionable minds. I spoke about one particular case where someone, a young person, asked me about what happened back in ’75 during the period of the Dismissal and the teacher’s interpretation of what happened and at the subsequent election where Malcolm Fraser was overwhelmingly voted in after the actions of the Governor-General. I mean apart from re-inventing history, the teacher just completely mislead the children in her class by telling her something that was completely different. I explained to the young person who asked me the question in the class that I actually lived through this and I was very much aware of it and I’ve studied it since and what the teacher and told them was completely a fabrication. Pyne: It’s funny you should say that because when I was at university I did my first essay on Constitutional Law on the Dismissal and I failed it. And I said to the lecturer afterwards; what happened? I’ve never failed anything before. She said, my advice to you is don’t ever choose any subjects that have a political nature because you will never be passed. Hadley: Well funnily enough, that is what a student was asking me about. If I reflect what you’re saying which is directly and diametrically opposed to what the teacher is saying, the likelihood is that I won’t pass. Well the person got a C, but I thought it worth probably a B, but anyway. Pyne: Well I took my lecturer’s advice and I never covered a political subject again while I was at university, I just got involved in student politics. But back to the subject of the academic at the Ourimba campus, apparently they also were saying that the unauthorised arrivals that are coming to Australia are skilled migrants and there is no such thing as a people smuggling trade. Hadley: That’s it, that everyone who comes here has something to contribute and should be let in here under any circumstances. Pyne: Well for goodness sack, the Australian public expect their academics at universities to be sensible and intelligent. We have to protect our borders, that is the primary responsibility of any government and if the government does not protect its borders, then it abrogated its responsibility for being in government. Hadley: Well I’ll let you know what happens. We’ve placed a call to the lecturer whom I haven’t identified, I have his name in front of me and until I give him the chance to defend himself over these claims. I’ll leave it at that and if we get some reaction we’ll let you know. Pyne: Thank you Ray. Hadley: Thanks Christopher. ENDS