By Sean Healy
A plan for campaigning against the privatisation of higher education and against racism, and support for International Women's Day are some of the proposals that the socialist youth organisation Resistance will be taking to this year's National Union of Students conference to commence on December 8.
NUS is the national peak body representing the majority of student organisations in higher education. Dominated for most of its history by conservative Labor students, this year's conference seems set to continue the pattern of battles and debates between Labor and more left-wing students.
The policy motions to be put forward by Resistance, along with policy motions to be proposed by other left-wing students, are an attempt to tie next year's NUS leadership into some political campaigning in 1998.
"Some of the motions we're putting, including opposition to the government's native title bill and for concerted NUS action against racism, were adopted by the Fight Racism conference held in Sydney in late September", said Nick Fredman, Resistance activist and NUS delegate for Southern Cross University (Lismore).
One motion calls for NUS to plan a week of on-campus action against racism in March, produce a national broadsheet and poster, and give other forms of concrete support to on-campus anti-racism groups.
Fredman said "Our motions come from our desire to see NUS put its resources and support behind issues that are important to students. Our policy on the campaign for free education, for instance, commits NUS to make campaigning against fees and funding cuts its major priority for 1998, and includes specific dates for national days of action in April and May. It proposes themes and demands for the campaign and funding of $40,000.
Another motion commits NUS to supporting the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Conference, scheduled for Easter 1998. "This conference already has strong participation from left and activist groups and movements throughout the region. We think it's important that NUS takes a clear stand in favour of regional solidarity, especially given the backward foreign policy of the Australian government."
Resistance is also putting forward a motion which condemns the increasing amount of sexist material in student newspapers and the practise of "men's editions" alongside women's editions.
Resistance activist and NUS delegate from Curtin University, Corinne Glenn, said that the motivation behind this motion was to "stem a very dangerous slide in the student press towards re-legitimising sexism. Women's editions of student newspapers arose as a way to combat the sexism, stereotypes and discrimination that women face. In contrast, 'men's editions' play no positive political role and in fact trivialise women's oppression.
"This motion and the motion calling on NUS to actively support International Women's Day makes a very clear statement that NUS should actively fight for women's rights and against sexism", Glenn said.
However, the policy motions may face opposition from more conservative delegates, including those from Liberal clubs and several Labor factions.
"The only way these or any other policy motions will get adopted is if left delegates at the conference, including from Left Alliance, Non-Aligned Left, Resistance and others, work together and ensure that the motions are passed", Resistance member and University of Sydney Student Representative Council vice-president Marina Carman said.
"The various Labor factions will undoubtedly try to dominate the conference. They're even quite likely to try to block progressive policy initiatives. If the left is divided, as it has been at previous conferences, then the real losers will be students, who want NUS to take a lead in campaigning around the issues they care about", Carman continued.
Resistance has put forward a proposal for a single left caucus at the conference to ensure that the left can have a unified presence and intervention. It will also be supporting a range of policy motions put forward by other left delegates which seek to commit NUS to anti-government campaigning and progressive policies.