BY PETER ROBSON
SYDNEY Student organisers don't need to live in the areas that they represent, or attend the campuses that they organise. Regional organisers shouldn't be asked to live in the regions they organise, it would be like requiring a sexuality officer to live in Oxford Street This was one of the many justifications made by the successful candidate for state president, Labor Party member Ryan Heath, at the NSW National Union of Students (NUS) conference held on November 25 and 26.
Labor students dominated the conference, due to the fact that most Labor Party members do not disclose their party affiliations during delegate elections for the conference. The two Labor factions, Student Unity and the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS), formed a majority block that silenced debate and locked out the left opposition. Debates around the Student Solidarity Conference and the disqualification of Resistance member, Peter Robson, from the Newcastle University presidential elections were quashed by the Labor block.
Most of the conference was consumed by debate on restructuring proposals which will result in NUS NSW being broken into four regions, each having a regional organiser who would represent them.
Regional campuses criticised the proposal when it was discovered that regional organisers would most likely live in Sydney and be required to attend the campuses they organise for only three days in every month.
Activist positions such as indigenous convenor and environment officer had their budgets slashed to a few thousand dollars and their pay removed. However, the salary of the NUS state president, a traditionally Labor-held position, was increased to $20,000 a year. After heated discussion, and outrage from left delegates, the NOLS faction decided to agree to $10,000 budget to the Indigenous Students' Network, a $7000 cut in funding.
Left-wing students, although seeing the need to make NUS more relevant, opposed the restructuring as undemocratic. Left delegates criticised the lack of consultation with regional campuses and thought that the removal of indigenous and environment officers would reduce the numbers of new activists getting involved with NUS.
President of University of New England Students' Association, Tom Fisher, noted that the changes will further alienate students from NUS at my campus especially considering a disaffiliation referendum has been lodged by right wing students at my university.
Bernie Wunsch, Resistance member and Political Action Officer with the Southern Cross University (Lismore) SRC said, NUS has lost touch with its membership and with real world politics. Until the Labor's control of NUS is broken, student campaigns and activism will continue to be marginalised.
Some left policy motions, but only after most delegates had left. NUS NSW supported for the Palestinian community's call for a UN protection force and opposed the Howard government's attempts to further exploit the East Timor's oil reserves.
Support was expressed for International Women's Day, the May 1 strike against corporate tyranny and the growing movement against refugee detention centres. A protest against the Howard government's funding of private schools was endorsed for March 15. It will also be supported by the NSW Teachers Federation.