VC’s Update: 2025 election

Hi everyone,

So we had an election over the weekend, and whilst there are still some seats to be confirmed, it is clear that Australia has made a decisive vote to return Labor for another three-year term. Here in the ACT, the Independents continue to make inroads and have strong support. And we are lucky to have so many elected politicians, across the political spectrum, who care about the ANU and about the higher education sector. I also want to thank and acknowledge our own experts who have provided insights and analysis about the election, public policy and global conversations over the last few months as part of the ANU Election series. It’s been great to see the range of opinions, and also show how much our expertise contributes to shaping and creating national conversations.

The election outcome also means we have more likely scenarios to work through, across research, student engagement and funding. And my thanks to Richelle Hilton and the many teams across campus for working these through. Once we have more information, I'll share this with the community.

Of course, a new Parliament also means new conversations, new relationships and new agendas, as well as many continuities and throughlines. The good news, is we know that education remains an important part of ensuring Australians have access to building a better future! And we also know that the work we do, and our research and insights can help make a difference for our community, our country and our region. And our place, just eight minutes away from Parliament gives us a unique position to continue and also make new connections on the Hill. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be meeting with members of our community who will be part of briefing incoming Parliamentarians, and ensuring we are able to provide our expertise to our nation's leaders – the ones renewing the roles and the ones new to Parliament or new to role. And also making sure that we represent ourselves, and our sector well and continue to work make the case for a national university!

In the midst of all the other activity, I had an opportunity to meet with members of our Campus Environment team, specifically our Grounds staff who keep our campus looking amazing year-round. I enjoyed hearing their reflections (and pride) about the places they look after on campus and some hidden gems I didn’t know well. We are so very lucky to have a beautiful campus, and this team, headed by Mick Kelly, deserve an extraordinary thanks and recognition for the wonderful work they do.

Good thoughts to where this finds you,

G