The Australian National University (ANU) has no record of Julie Bishop declaring her work with MinRes but the university says that she has complied with all requirements.
Last month, mining company MinRes posted an induction video for their new Walters Drive office featuring Julie Bishop as an “ambassador”, since revealed to be working as a strategic advisor to the firm. The video — featuring cameos from AFL player Jeremy McGovern and Grey’s Anatomy actor Kate Walsh — drew criticism for Bishop’s endorsement while also serving as the figurehead for ANU.
Bishop was reappointed for a second term as ANU chancellor in October last year, following a 20-year career as a federal politician.
The ANU adopted a Socially Responsible Investment Policy in 2013, which includes excluding companies that derive more than 20% of their revenue from coal. (The decision was heavily criticised by Bishop’s then-colleagues including Joe Hockey and Jamie Briggs). More recently, the ANU’s Below Zero initiative committed to reducing carbon emissions to below zero by 2030.
A freedom of information request submitted to the ANU regarding Bishop and MinRes was refused as staff were unable to find any relevant documents relating to it. Essentially, there’s no paper trail showing that Bishop told the university about her new role and the video.
Crikey put questions to the ANU about whether Bishop had told ANU about her role with MinRes and whether there was a conflict of interest promoting a mining company while the university sought to move away from fossil fuels.
A spokesperson from the ANU simply said: “Please note the Chancellor has complied with all University requirements.”
Crikey understands that Bishop has declared work with her firm Julie Bishop & Partners, but is not required to disclose who the firm has worked with.
Bishop did not immediately respond to a request for comment through her firm.
The seven-minute MinRes video, titled “New video shows off our ‘ore-some’ new HQ”, follows Bishop as she shows off the company’s workplace wellness amenities. Notably absent is any mention of the company’s actual extraction work.
“While the video’s humour and use of satire will catch the attention of our new and potential employees, there’s a serious message behind the content,” the video’s description says.
