More than 100 lecturers and academics at the University of Tasmania have accused Liberal Whip Andrew Nikolic of "abusing his parliamentary role" by attempting to prevent a senior lecturer from criticising the Abbott government.
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Mr Nikolic contacted university vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen to query whether Dr Michael Powell, a lecturer in history and politics, had broken any employment rules by submitting a fiery letter to the editor of the Launceston Examiner in which he lashed the government for cutting funding to the university.
Mr Nikolic, a former Brigadier in the Australian Army who was promoted to the position of whip by Prime Minister Tony Abbott last month, has insisted he was not attempting to "stifle the free speech" of Dr Powell but was simply asking whether his views represented the university's position.
University staff reacted with fury after Fairfax Media detailed the brawl on Monday and revealed Professor Rathjen had deemed that Dr Powell was not representing the views of the university and had declined to defend his staff member publicly.
By 4pm on Wednesday, 119 university staff had signed an open letter of protest.
"We, the undersigned, believe it is Mr Nikolic's obligation as a parliamentarian to uphold the principle of free expression. Mr Nikolic using his privileged position to attempt to prevent Dr Powell from commenting is, we believe, an abuse of his parliamentary role," they wrote.
"Any parliamentarian should listen to their constituents, not 'shoot the messenger'.
"Mr Nikolic's action also represents an attack on the long-standing principle of academic freedom. Academic staff are NOT public servants and have a right to engage in public controversy within their area of professional expertise without fear or favour.
"We the undersigned write on our own behalf to express our profound concern with Mr Nikolic's actions, and ask if he intends to email the vice-chancellor to express his displeasure about us as well?"
Dr John Kenny, a science lecturer, who organised the open letter, said Mr Nikolic appeared to be using army methods to crack down on dissent among constituents.
"The staff who have contacted me are outraged. They take the principle of academic freedom very seriously. Mr Nikolic needs to understand this is not the army; he cannot use his authority to force compliance with his views," he told Fairfax Media.
A media spokesman for Mr Nikolic said he was too busy to talk before hanging up.
On Monday, Mr Nikolic dismissed Dr Powell's criticism as politically-motivated, describing him as a "failed Labor candidate" who was undertaking a "anti-Liberal letter writing campaign". Dr Powell stood as a state Labor candidate in Tasmania three decades ago.
The signatories of the letter have also called on Professor Rathjen and the academic senate to "endorse the principle of academic freedom".
In a statement, Prof Rathjen said: "The University of Tasmania is deeply committed to the principle of academic freedom, as articulated in policies agreed by Academic Senate, and the belief that in their areas of expertise our academics have much that is special to contribute to discussions about the life and possible futures of our communities."
It is not the first time that Mr Nikolic has drawn criticism for drawing links between political expression and someone's employment.
In 2012, as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Bass, he was accused of online bullying when he threatened to contact the employers of 13 people who "liked" a satirical story about him posted on Facebook.
He wrote to all 13 people who clicked the "like" button after reading the story but did not go through with his threat to contact their employers. He later complained that the anonymous author of the article was also standing against him for election.
Mr Nikolic's vigorous approach to criticism was raised in Parliament in a recent speech by Tasmanian Labor senator Helen Polley, who accused him of having a "glass jaw" and "tittle-tattling" to Professor Rathjen.
"He is obsessed with anyone in our community that challenges his view and expresses a different view about this unfair budget that they brought down. He has been unrelenting in his personal attacks and putting pressure on people who dare to critique this budget," Senator Polley said in a speech on February 22.
