(Picture: Gone but not forgotten – Leader of the State Opposition during UTAS’ murky 2024 lobbying campaign, Dean Winter)
In a decision released today, the Ombudsman has again ruled in my favour against UTAS in a Right to Information (RTI) external review – this makes it six-nil in my favour (this is a link to the decision, which can also be accessed directly in Appendix below).
The decision has two key dimensions.
First, it once again emphasises UTAS’ culture of secrecy and bogus commitment to transparency – an issue I dealt with at length in the blog post on my fifth victory over UTAS, Another Ombudsman decision against UTAS underlines the University’s culture of secrecy. I will not repeat myself here, but it really is time that UTAS Council members and Tasmanian politicians woke up to the shenanigans of senior UTAS management – unless, of course, they are actively party to them.
Second, UTAS has been directed to provide key documents to me by 12 June 2026 on its highly political lobbying in 2024 of the State Opposition and other ALP figures over the University of Tasmania (Protection of Land) Bill 2024.
I published a detailed blog post, and copies of documents, relating to this matter in February 2025, RTI reveals UTAS and Labor Opposition collusion preceded Government backflip on UTAS Bill, but there were major issues with the documents provided, or not provided, to me under RTI by UTAS.
For example, UTAS provided briefing to the Leader of the State Opposition, Dean Winter, and Sarah Lovell MLC on the University of Tasmania (Protection of Land) Bill 2024 the day before they met with Madeleine Ogilvie, the responsible Minister, to discuss the Bill. This is the briefing in the form UTAS provided it to me, and as I reproduced it in my blog post:
Under the Ombudsman’s decision, among other things, UTAS is required to provide an unredacted copy of this document to me by 12 June 2026.
I look forward to greater clarity on the murky, if not sordid, story around the University of Tasmania (Protection of Land) Bill 2024 and the Act that eventuated in April 2026.
Appendix – the Ombudsman’s decision