Kim Beazley Anointed Chancellor of ANU. (February 20, 2009)

The report in The Canberra Times opens with:

''Don't miss the graduations, keep out of the vice-chancellor's hair, give him or her advice when it is asked for, not otherwise''. So advised Professor Ian Chubb, the vice-chancellor of the Australian National University at the official installation of Kim Beazley -- Labor leader, deputy prime minister and minister in the Hawke and Keating governments -- as the university's 11^th chancellor.

You may judge if the former leader of the Australian Parliamentary Labor Party agreed to comply in saying he would ''be seen and not heard except behind the scenes''.

The Governor-General Quentin Bryce presided over the indoctrination and Bob Hawke stopped by and made a point of saying of his former minister: ''He brings everything that's required to the ANU; he is a first-class academic, has a love of universities and a total commitment to what universities are, and should be about.''

And Professor Beazley took the opportunity to praise the Rudd Government for recognising the importance of the university sector to the future of Australia.

He also did a bit of lobbying saying it was time for Commonwealth recognition of the ANU's special status: ''The time has come to reinforce its strength."