To: Deakin University management
Deakin University: Honour your commitment to transparency and accountability
We call upon Deakin University to:
- Publicly explain why it is engaging FOI Solutions (including why university lawyers are not able to handle these matters) and how much it is paying FOI Solutions;
- Discontinue its appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal; and
- Comply with the decisions of the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and release the requested information concerning senior executive remuneration and contractual arrangements with foreign militaries, weapons manufacturers and fossil fuel companies.
Why is this important?
In collaboration with NTEU, Victorian MP Aiv Puglielli applied to Victorian universities for information regarding senior executive remuneration and contractual arrangements with foreign militaries, weapon manufacturers and fossil fuel companies.
The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) has ordered Deakin University to release requested information concerning senior executive remuneration, finding that:
- ‘the public interest weighs heavily in favour of disclosure of information about salaries and salary setting procedures in public universities to support accountable governance’; and
- the Vice-Chancellor agreed (or did not object) to disclosure.
OVIC has also ordered Deakin University to release requested information concerning its contractual arrangements with foreign militaries, weapon manufacturers and fossil fuel companies, finding that ‘where the contract amounts are large . . . disclosure is in the public interest in order to aid understanding of the relationship between a public institution and the business’.
Deakin University has now appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in relation to both decisions of the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and has engaged an external law firm, FOI Solutions, in these appeals.
Our Ask
Deakin University has commenced negotiations for a new enterprise agreement setting staff pay and conditions. Questions of budget, financial sustainability and governance will be central to these negotiations.
As the University Chancellors Council has emphasised, public universities are subject to ‘high standards of transparency and accountability’. Deakin University itself has emphasised the need for universities to have a strong social licence with robust transparency, stating that ‘it is not enough for decisions to be made; the how and why should be available’.
We the undersigned are seriously concerned that Deakin University is not upholding these governance standards by appealing against the two decisions of the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner ordering disclosure. The use of an external law firm raises questions as to appropriate use of university funds especially given the University’s in-house lawyers and public concern over the use of consultants by universities (as illustrated by the 4Corners episode, ‘Campus Chaos'). Both circumstances run contrary to the emphasis on universities having a strong social licence.
