The Sunday Times, Perth.  
March 3 1996

Parlt best place for inquiry

Comment by Joe Poprzeczny

         THE University of WA's seem-
         ingly unending archaeology
         scandal has moved from the sordid
         to the bizarre.
         
         For four years UWA executives,
         especially Vice-Chancellor Professor Fay
         Gale and even her deputy, Professor Alan
         Robson, have claimed all was kosher in
         how UWA handled controversial academic
         Professor Sandra Bowdler and the way
         UWA   discarded   world-famous
         archaeologist Dr David Rindos.
         
         Last year UWA was carpeted in a ruling
         by the Freedom of Information
         Commissioner, Mrs Keighley-Gerardy,
         who said UWA had to hand over damning
         documents to Dr Rindos.
         
         The reason was that it could not
         produce written evidence showing it ever
         raised alleged performance problems with
         Dr Rindos.
         
         Now, with the Ombudsman having sent
         a long list of questions to Professors Gale
         and Robson, and an Upper House inquiry
         in the wings, UWA's senate has suddenly
         opted for its own study of how well UWA
         has performed.
         
         It is revealing to read Professor Gale's
         reasons for the 180 degree back-flip.
         
         She did not say the inquiry had come
         because something was wrong with the
         December 1991 archaeology review, or
         with her subsequent refusal to have a
         fully fledged inquiry into the review's
         shock findings.
         
         Nor did she say the matter must be
         investigated because Dr Rindos may have
         been given a raw deal.
         
         Instead she said the senate inquiry was
         called because of bad press.
         
         Her statement read: "The senate of
         UWA has noted current media interest in
         the former department of archaeology,
         and the denial of tenure to Dr David
         Rindos.
         
         ~Media speculation appears to have
         grown to a point at which senate feels it is
         not in the university's best interests to
         remain inactive."
         
         If that's not bad enough, the senate
         produced terms of reference which prove
         senators have been kept totally in the
         dark.
         
         The first term is: "To examine the
         documentary evidence before the
         committee established in 1991 to review
         the department of archaeology together
         with findings and recommendations of the
         committee, and the action taken to its
         recommentions."
         
         The problem here is, as has been known
         since early 1992, that all this evidence was
         destroved.
         
         The second is: "To examine the reasons
         for the recommendation that Dr Rindos
         not be granted tenure and the process
         involved in not granting him tenure."
         
         Don't senators know UWA lost Dr
         Rindos's personal file where these reasons
         are supposed to be filed.
         
         Don't they read the media that is
         credited with bringing about their belated
         inquiry?
         
         If not they should read the private eye's
         report where he said the most likely
         reason for the file vanishing was its
         intentional hiding or destruction by a
         party or parties unknown.
         
         Inexplicably, Professor Gale's statement
         failed to say the senate should fully
         investigate allegations against Professor
         Bowdler.
         
         These allegations, with the controversy
         over Dr Rindos, have severely damaged
         UWA worldwide and will continue to do so
         until all findings become public and
         survive international academic scrutiny.
         
         Whether the senate is the proper venue
         to inquire into this scandal remains in
         doubt.
         
         The best place for a full and open
         inquiry continues to be State Parliament.