2025-04-03
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Spokesperson for Higher Education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has strongly condemned Peter Dutton’s latest remarks about cracking down on so-called ‘woke’ ideology at universities. She warned that this is yet another dangerous attempt by the Coalition to police academic freedom, silence progressive voices, and impose ideological control over higher education institutions.
Lines attributable to Senator Faruqi:
“The Coalition’s pathetic Trump-style attempt to control what's taught in our universities will be nothing short of authoritarian censorship. It is dangerous, unwanted and has no place in our universities.
“This is the latest desperate effort by Peter Dutton and the Liberals to manufacture a culture war to distract from their lack of genuine policies or solutions to the issues people are facing. When it comes to education, the Coalition has no vision beyond control, fear and division.
"Ministerial interventions in university curricula are an attack on academic independence. What’s next—Dutton personally vetting lecture notes?
“Universities must be places of inquiry and rigorous debate, not vehicles to serve conservative politicians looking for cheap headlines.
"Let’s be clear: The Coalition cannot stand the idea of young people engaging with progressive ideas or questioning the status quo.
“This election the Greens will keep Dutton and his Trump-like politics out and get Labor to act on wiping all student debt and making uni and TAFE free. You can’t keep voting for the two major parties expecting a different result—if you want change, you have to vote for it.”