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
National Labor Students has policies in support of
- Free education (as opposed to HECS)
- Feminism
- Non-violent direct action
- Universal Student Unionism.[citation needed]
[edit] Criticism
One of the major criticisms of this faction by other NUS factions has been that it has usually overpowered all other factions at the National Union of Students for the position of the president. This includes making deals to retain the position of president.[citation needed]
[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 somewhat diminished at the 2006 National Conference (after the resignation of four of their delegates from QUT, which had elected more NLS delegates than any other campus in the country), 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 South 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 Student Representative Council
- Katy Fernandez, University of Sydney Union
- Alice Migdale, Edith Cowan University Student Guild
- 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
- Julie-Ann Campbell, University of Queensland Union
- Angus McFarland, University of Sydney Students' Representative Council
| Student unions of Australia | |
|---|---|
| National: 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 campus) | Monash (Clayton campus) | Murdoch | New England | New South Wales | Newcastle | Queensland | QUT | RMIT | South Australia | Southern Cross (Coffs Harbour campus) | Southern Cross (Lismore campus) | Southern Queensland | Sunshine Coast | Swinburne | Sydney | Tasmania (Hobart campus) | Tasmania (Launceston campus) | 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 | |
