Australian National University chancellor Julie Bishop has again confirmed she will not resign despite mounting pressure against her, saying she intends to remain in the role and see the institution through its restructure.Â
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.
Ms Bishop told ABC Radio Canberra this morning she was committed to staying in the position and had the support of the ANU Council.
“I believe I have an obligation to see this transition through to the end,” Ms Bishop said.
“I have the backing of council and I intend to see it through.”
Ms Bishop said she had been getting “very positive feedback” from the ANU community.
ANU demographer Liz Allen levelled the allegations at Ms Bishop while giving evidence to a Senate committee investigating higher education governance last month.
In a 25-page formal response to the committee, Ms Bishop rejected absolutely the allegations that she had “godlike powers, unchecked” and that a “culture of fear and intimidation” was fostered under her chairmanship of council meetings.
“I wish to state on the record that I categorically deny the allegations levelled against me during the hearing on 12 August 2025,” Ms Bishop said in the letter.
“I reject absolutely … that ‘dissent’ is ‘discouraged’, that Council is ‘dysfunctional and toxic under the current regime’, that elected members are ‘afraid’, that Council is ‘orchestrated cinema to make it appear that what’s happening is legitimate when… it’s not’, or that the nature of Council is ‘divide and conquer’.”
Ms Bishop added that her conduct had always been highly professional, saying she had “never been accused of any behaviour or conduct that remotely reflects, even to the slightest degree, what was alleged” during the Senate hearing.
Loading…Bishop says she was blindsided by how allegations were aired
Today, Ms Bishop singled out Senator Pocock for not revealing there had been a workplace complaint made against her when they met before the Senate committee hearing.
“I went to see him in Parliament House on July 22, and I talked to him about his concerns about the financial sustainability of ANU,” she said.
“He had concerns about communications and management style. He did not raise one issue about me, my leadership, my role as chancellor.
“He certainly didn’t raise any allegations against me, and he didn’t say, ‘well, by the way, somebody’s going to give evidence against you in this Senate hearing’. Nothing.”
Senator Pocock told ABC Radio Canberra that he did not think it was “appropriate” to raise the complaint with Ms Bishop at that meeting.
“I had gone through the relevant channels, I went to the minister in June with Dr Allen’s complaint, I went to the [ANU] vice-chancellor, I supported Dr Allen to give testimony at the inquiry,” he said.
“It didn’t raise it at that meeting [with Ms Bishop], I didn’t think it was appropriate.”
ANU academic Liz Allen told ABC Canberra she had “exhausted” every avenue before speaking before the Senate committee. (ABC News: Toby Hunt)
Dr Allen said she made the allegations in front of the Senate committee because she felt she had “exhausted every formal process available” to her.
“For me, the Senate was the last resort,” she said.
“The governance dysfunction at ANU is problematic and it’s hurting people, not just me.
“And so, I felt that that was my only opportunity, and I did not share my speech with people ahead of time because I thought it would be inappropriate and, more importantly, stifling to my own freedoms to have it vetted in any way by any political person.
“So, I went into that process — I opted to have it in public, because I don’t believe things like that should be kept private.”
‘No warning about the nature of the testimony’
Ms Bishop also took aim at the Senate committee hearing, saying she was dismayed that witnesses gave testimony in an environment that failed to meet safe workplace standards, particularly with regard to psychosocial safety.
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In her letter, Ms Bishop said the committee chair acknowledged in her opening statement at the hearing that it was a workplace, and pointed out that the federal work health and safety regulator considers exposure to traumatic events or material to be a workplace hazard.
“The witness was evidently deeply distressed and spoke specifically about suicidal ideation and a miscarriage,” she said.
“There was no warning about the nature of the testimony likely to be given, and I am concerned that appropriate trauma-informed principles were not applied in relation to her testimony.
“Eliminating that risk or at least taking steps to minimise the risk insofar as was reasonably practicable, should have been the first priority of the Committee both before any witness testified, and during testimony of any witness when the subject matter of the testimony became apparent.”
Julie Bishop says ‘no grounds’ for her to resign as ANU chancellor
Ms Bishop said she was able to address and refute each of the allegations made against her during the Senate committee hearing.
But she said to do so in a public response would compromise ongoing workplace grievance processes.
“It would clearly be in my interests to have my name cleared and the damage to my reputation mitigated at the first available opportunity,” Ms Bishop said.
“It would also be in the ANU’s interest to have its Chancellor cleared of these allegations, noting that my actions are inextricably linked with the university.
“However, I cannot in good conscience publicly give testimony to the committee that may further compromise the workplace grievance process as well as other ongoing processes and inquiries, or deny the parties involved the necessary protections of confidentiality and procedural fairness that I was denied before the committee.”
Senate chair says committee met obligations to protect witnesses
In the Senate committee’s letter of reply to Ms Bishop, chair Marielle Smith said the establishment of the inquiry and the decision to hold public hearings was not unusual.
“Senate committees often hear evidence critical of public bodies and agencies, and this criticism is often the genesis for committee inquiries and reports,” she said.
Senator Marielle Smith, who chaired the Senate committee, says it is not the role of the committee to investigate or reach conclusions on individual matters. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato)
Senator Smith said the committee was not aware of the details of Dr Allen’s testimony before she gave it.
“From the committee’s perspective, the issues raised at the hearing were part of an extensive body of evidence it has received as part of its inquiry,” she said.
Senator Smith said it was not the role of the committee to investigate or reach conclusions on individual matters.
Senator Smith also said the committee had obligations to protect witnesses in the giving of evidence, and when that evidence reflected adversely on individuals, the Senate had a process that allowed the individual to respond.
“In the committee’s view, these obligations were met,” she said.