QED

The Vidkun Quisling of Parramatta Road

spence IIBettina Arndt’s attempts to speak on campus have been subjected to what can only be described as a campaign of mounting harassment and, shamefully, official delay and obstruction. Her offence is daring to challenge the absurd narrative that universities are little Ugandas of rape and sexual attack. It’s nonsense, of course, as Bettina has been attempting to point out, but careers are being made of this and the howlers’ din disorients those who know of principle, but only in nodding acquaintance.

Sydney University has declared itself the latest institution to side with thugs by demanding the Liberal Club, which invited Bettina, pay to be protected from the black-clad scum and blue-haired harridans for whom a night of flinging abuse, missiles and cowards’ punches is fine entertainment.

See also: Shame and Sandstone

The threats and attacks are never mirrored by the campus right, so leftoids can gather without fear or additional expense. Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence’s (above) decision to burden the blameless would seem to signal a strange wish that his stewardship be remembered as time when principle, free speech and the right to debate in safety were sacrificed to appease a small but noisy mob. Perhaps he is cowed by face piercings and the rattle of human cutlery drawers.

There is a war of sorts going on, the boundaries of what one is allowed to say pushed back ever further, day by day. The Australian Christian Lobby cannot hold a meeting because the hotel, deluged with threats, cancels the booking. Visiting speakers are besieged at their engagements by flying squads of bullies, then billed by police for the protection their tormenters make necessary. Margaret Court is harassed and spat upon. Andrew Bolt cannot launch a book and then, in a crime that has seen no arrest, he is set upon by masked hoods. A former prime minister cops a head butt on a public street. We all know of these outrages and, even more distressing, we see how those who should be defending free speech, that most basic right, instead align with the party of the gag-and-throttle.

Now, rather than lead the resistance, instead defending what a university should represent and Sydney University no longer does, Vice-Chancellor Spence bids welcome at the open gates, the Vidkun Quisling of Parramatta Road.

— online editor

Below, Bettina Arndt’s latest report from the front:

_____________________________

Hi, Everyone,
The battle continues with Sydney University. I am supposed to be speaking there next Tues evening, September 11. The administration stalled for 12 days, claiming the application for a venue was being processed. At the weekend I finally wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, Michael Spence, reminding him that he had recently given an interview claiming his university was “a place where ideas are challenged and tested, but where evidence is called for.”

When the letter was released to the press Spence finally responded, offering a venue but announcing the Liberal Club students would be charged for security. He presented them with a bill for nearly $500, plus the room hire. 

We have decided to tell the university the event is going ahead without the Liberal Club students paying for security and Spence is being informed that it is his responsibility to ensure unruly students do not disrupt the event. If the university believes other students are likely to create a problem with regard to the event, it is up to the university to ensure no disruption takes place.  We will see what happens now. I’ll let you know how it all pans out before next Tuesday. 

But assuming it works out as planned, Sydneysiders please come along and support me. September 11, 6 pm. Quad History Room s223. <a>Tickets available here</a>

Meanwhile the La Trobe campus talk is today. (Thurs, September 6, 11 am ELT-3, Bundoora.) Everyone is welcome.

Last night Jack O’Brien, President of the Sydney University Liberal Student Club was on The Bolt Report on Sky News, talking about what’s happening. He did a great job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAdarOJkFKA&feature=youtu.be

This morning on Radio 2GB Alan Jones talked to Mark Latham about my battle with Sydney Uni <a href=”https://youtu.be/1PxJRB74yoA” rel=”nofollow”>– see here:</a>

It’s great if you can circulate these interviews. We’re getting them up on my Facebook page to make it easier for you to do that. https://www.facebook.com/Bettina-Arndt-146481039248876/

Also see below, the article about all this in the Higher Education section of The Australian. Subscribers please post comments online. It helps get stories about my campus tour into the paper.   

Oh yes, the other thing I meant to mention was I was supposed to be talking to Germaine Greer today about her book on rape but she has had a fall and has cancelled all her events this week. Hopefully my interview  might happen in a few weeks but I wasn’t sorry to have this one drop off the list  at this crazy time.     

Until next time, Tina

3 thoughts on “The Vidkun Quisling of Parramatta Road

  • mgkile@bigpond.com says:

    A similar battle rages outside academia.

    Interesting article (behind paywall) in yesterday’s AFR by David Marin-Guzman on this subject:

    https://www.afr.com/news/policy/industrial-relations/domestic-violence-counsellor-fired-for-sharing-views-with-feminism-critic-20180905-h14ymm

    The Fair Work Commission has said an employee is entitled to hold personal views and beliefs at odds with his employer after a domestic violence case manager allegedly breached company policy for sharing articles by a critic of feminism from The Australian.

    Relationships Australia in Western Australia (RAWA) confronted its men’s counsellor, Robert Tiller, because he appeared to believe domestic violence was not caused by the “gender power imbalance” and had linked to articles by columnist Bettina Arndt.

    But Commissioner Bruce Williams said the counsellor’s views had not affected his work and the agency was on “precarious” ground if it had dismissed him.

    “Whilst Mr Tiller is obliged to carry out his duties in accordance with the Family and Domestic Violence Policy and Procedures his Employment Agreement does not, on its terms, have the effect of denying him the freedom to hold personal views and beliefs that are at odds with RAWA’s policies,” he said.

    Views ‘not only wrong but dangerous’

    Mr Tiller had worked for eight years at RAWA and was a member of The Men’s Focus Group, a separate group where men working in social services met and often debated new research and articles.

    Management became aware Mr Tiller had sent emails to the group from his work address with links to Ms Arndt’s articles where he “appeared” to be endorsing the view that domestic violence was not primarily caused by men and was gender neutral.

    RAWA chief executive Terri Reilly said the emails were a “complete breach” of the agency’s policy on domestic violence and “entirely inconsistent” with its philosophy.

    She told the commission views that domestic violence was not gender based are “not only wrong but dangerous”.

    At its worst, she said “these views propose that domestic violence is a conspiracy promoted by feminists”.

    When Ms Reilly confronted Mr Tiller about the emails, he defended linking to Ms Arndt’s article as a sharing of ideas and said it was never intended as a political statement.

    He claimed Ms Reilly then became agitated and moved to the edge of her seat to tell him in a sharp tone “Bettina Arndt is right wing” and challenged her credibility as a journalist.

    When Mr Tiller replied that her article had been published in The Australian, Ms Reilly allegedly rolled her eyes.
    Policy ‘problematic’

    Commissioner Williams considered that RAWA’s domestic violence policy described its philosophy as “historically framed by a feminist analysis of gendered power relations”.

    But he said how that philosophy applied to the minority of RAWA’s cases, such as women’s violence against men or between same-sex couples, was uncertain and “problematic”.

  • whitelaughter says:

    So, can’t argue against universities being a cesspool of violence because the cost of paying for protection from the student thugs is too great.

    No, not a lot of sympathy for Bettina Arndt here. However, do think that this is sufficient justification for disestablishing Sydney University.

Leave a Reply