National Labor Students
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National Labor Students (NLS) is a factional grouping operating within the Australian National Union of Students. It is oriented towards the Socialist Left of the Australian Labor Party, although membership of the ALP (or the Socialist Left) is not required.
The faction was formed by the merger of the two pre-existing Labor Left factions, the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) and Australian Labor Students (ALS), on 1 January 2006, following a decision at the NUS 2005 National Conference. The name "National Labor Students" was adopted on 26 June 2006 at the NLS mid-year conference in July.
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[edit] Policy
Since National Labor Students is a merge between the National Organisation of Labor Students and Australian Labor Students, its precise political orientation is yet to be determined. However, it is safe to say that the faction will remain to the left of Student Unity and is likely to endorse free education (as opposed to HECS), feminism, political activism and other left-wing themes. The faction is believed to continue opposing Voluntary Student Unionism.
[edit] Criticism
One of the major criticisms of this faction has been that it has usually over-powered all other factions at the National Union of Students for the position of the president. This includes making deals with any other faction possible to retain the position of president. Another criticism of the faction has been its lack of concern for International Student issues in Australia. However that has been changing recently with the involvement of Ruchir Punjabi in the faction.
[edit] NUS National
NLS is now the largest faction in NUS, controlling approximately 35% of votes at the 2005 NUS National Conference. While its numbers were lower at the 2006 National Conference, NLS gained control of the National Executive of NUS, and elected three National Office Bearers, as part of an agreement which divided up all office bearers amongst left-wing factions, with the exception of the NUS General Secretary, which was won by a member of the Independents despite NLS actively supporting Unity.
NLS national office bearers for 2007 are:
- Michael Nguyen, National President, University of Technology, Sydney;
- Pete Johnson, National Queer Officer, University of Sydney.
- Sheena Watt, National Indigenous Officer Queensland University of Technology.
[edit] NUS State branches
NLS also hold the positions of NUS state branch president in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia:
- Tom Patton, New South Wales, University of Sydney ;
- Zoe Edwards, Victoria, Monash University (Clayton);
- Claire Stimpson, Queensland, University of Queensland;
- Rhiannon Newman, South Australia, University of Adelaide.
National Labor Students also hold other state NUS office bearer positions.
[edit] Campus Presidents
This is an incomplete list of Labor Students presidents of Australian student organisations.
- Sarah Cole, La Trobe University Students' Representative Council
- Katy Fernandez, University of Sydney Union
- Jessie Giles, Melbourne University Student Union
- Daniel Doran, Queensland University of Technology Student Guild
- Darren Loasby, University of Technology, Sydney, Students' Association
- Jesse Young, University of New South Wales Student Guild
- Rhiannon Newman, Students' Association of the University of Adelaide
- Zoe Edwards, Monash Student Association
- Charlotte Walsh, La Trobe University Student Union
- Julie-Ann Campbell, University of Queensland Union
- Angus McFarland, University of Sydney Students' Representative Council
| National Union of Students of Australia | |
|---|---|
| Universities: ANU | Adelaide | Ballarat | Bendigo | Canberra | Charles Darwin | Curtin | Edith Cowan | Flinders | Griffith | James Cook | La Trobe | Macquarie | Melbourne | Monash - Caulfield | Monash - Clayton | Murdoch | New England | New South Wales | Newcastle | Queensland | QUT | RMIT | South Australia | Southern Cross - Coffs Harbour | Southern Cross - Lismore | Southern Queensland | Sunshine Coast | Swinburne | Sydney | Tasmania - Hobart | Tasmania - Launceston | UNSW COFA | UTS | Victoria | Western Australia | Western Sydney | Wollongong | |
| Current Factions: Australian Liberal Students Federation | Grassroots Left | Independents | National Labor Students | National Liaison Committee | Socialist Alternative | Student Unity | |
| Former Factions: Australian Labor Students | Left Alliance | Love and Rage | National Broad Left | National Organisation of Labor Students | Non-Aligned Left | Small + Regionals | |
