Tag Archives: Mark Vaile

The pushing up of Barnaby Joyce to the second top job in Canberra and the pushing out of Mark Vaile from the top job at Newcastle University are the depressing bookends of Australia’s renewed coal wars.

Newcastle is a city dependent on coal. But when a coal chief was appointed chancellor of the local university, all hell broke loose.

This week has proved the National Party leadership is a poisoned chalice, even when someone hasn’t been leader for years. Within days of each other, John Howard’s two surviving deputy PMs,

Anger at Newcastle University’s appointment of coal chief Mark Vaile as chancellor is white hot, with a second resignation and a ban on donations from high-profile givers.

In a city that is trying to wean itself off coal, Mark Vaile’s appointment as chancellor of the university has been met with a grim response.