Bogus 'Green Left' ticket runs in QUT student elections

Jim McIlroy
Magan-djin/Brisbane
October 6, 2011
Issue 
898
News

Liberal students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have run a bogus ticket under the name “Green Left” in the QUT Student Guild elections, held over September 20 to 23.

The two main tickets in the election were Epic, backed by the Liberals, and Activate, backed by the Labor students and the left on campus.

Investigations reveal that the bogus “Green Left” ticket is registered to give 100% of its preferences to Epic. Green Left Weekly has lodged a verbal protest with the electoral returning officer about this brazen misrepresentation of its name, which is widely known to be associated with Resistance and Socialist Alliance, and totally opposed to the Liberal Party. This will be followed by a written complaint.

Rebecca Barrigos, from Socialist Alternative, which is supporting the Activist team, told GLW that left students and the Activate team would also lodge a formal protest to the returning officer over this blatant act of political fraud committed by Epic organisers.

I attended the Gardens Point campus on September 23 and staged a protest at a table labelled Green Left, informing passing students of the fraud and urging them to obtain a genuine Green Left Weekly newspaper to show the truth about the “Green Left” name.

An Epic organiser called campus security, but there were no further problems at that stage.

The issue will not be allowed to rest, and further protests will be made over this outrageous misrepresentation of the Green Left name.

Elections
Australia

Comments

Anonymous replied on

Yep, nothing more important to the nation than student politics.......

Anonymous replied on

Who cares? Even as a supporter of the left I couldn't argue that we own the terms 'green' and 'left'. Sure it was trickery, but if it didn't win them the election it doesn't matter. Get back to reporting real news.

Anonymous replied on

It is important to expose the bastardy, moral and intellectual bankruptcy of your mates. Take the time to read Greenleft. Tories might learn something, for instance principled debate.

Anonymous replied on

Look at the bigger picture. This is an attack on the open democratic system of student politics. Without resistance against fraudulent political parties, the credibility of the entire system is called into question. If you cannot see this, you perhaps need to reevaluate whether you care or even realise that some of the great freedoms you enjoy on a daily basis were brought about by open, democratic debate. You might not care, but you should at least acknowledge that fact. You may think it does not matter because it's just "campus politics". However, once you loose your open democratic system, you might start caring, but then it would be too late to be caring anyway. Perhaps look around at your union, student services, and student support and don't take this all for granted. This system was built for students, by students. It's there to support you. Secondly, while you could argue, 'Green' may be an ambiguous term, you would have to be a fool to assume that 'Left' does not imply left-wing in a campus election. Again, like the term left, I would assume it wouldn't be a monumental leap to associate 'green' with the Greens party, or green/environmental politics.

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