Universities are often seen as bastions of ‘progressive’ thinking. The majority of academics are left-leaning, at least outside of the Accounting and Finance departments. Universities are also largely ideologically aligned with Labor and the Greens. This much has been made clear from universities’ stance on the Voice to Parliament referendum and in relation to the anti-Israel protests that have swept campuses across Australia.

Universities might have hoped that their progressive bona fides would curry favour with the prevailing socialist-left Labor Party.