VC Margaret Gardner tells staff that the university’s code is approved by officials

Universities are obliged to have their free speech codes benchmarked, for compliance with the one drafted by Robert French, commissioned by previous education minister Dan Tehan. His successor Alan Tudge warns universities that are not aligned with the French code that he will “examine all options available to the Government to enforce it – which may include legislation,” (CMM, December 2 2019 and  June 3).

But Monash U is in the clear. Professor Gardner reports the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, “considers the university’s policies ‘fully aligned’ to the Model Code.”

Good news indeed for those who consider it appropriate for government officials to judge universities conformity to a code of free-speech.