By Rohan Pearce
HOBART — Discussions between Resistance and Keep Left (a student electoral grouping made up of members from the Non-Aligned Left (NAL) and Tasmania University Greens), about forming a united left ticket to intervene in the upcoming SRC elections at Tasmania University Union (TUU), have failed. Keep Left decided unity wasn't appropriate or possible. In the context of unity taking place nationally amongst the student left, with the formation of the National Broad Left (NBL), Resistance spoke to students on the prospects for unity amongst the Tasmanian student left.
Ben Bartl is a Keep Left and Tasmanian University Greens member and current TUU environment officer. Asked if he thought it is a problem not having a broad left on TUU, he replied, "Yes, due to the fact that the University of Tasmania is considered a small and regional campus. And also due to there only being two left groups at present on campus.
"It is imperative that in future Resistance and Keep Left work together for the betterment of the union."
Asked the reasons for the failure of the broad left process at Tasmania University, Bartl said, "There were feelings expressed that the broad left failed due to there not being enough time to work out policies, between the formation of the broad left and the student elections.
"However, I would argue that it was due to a sense of fear that we would lose votes and thereby lose positions. Being the utopian that I am, I think left unity is about more than votes. It is about principles."
Mat Hines, a former member of NAL, is a Keep Left member and the Tasmanian University Greens co-convener, as well as the TUU board of management general representative. On the future prospects for left unity, he said, "As long as left students can branch out into the community and can maintain a national rather than a Melbourne- or Sydney-centric focus, the prospects are good.
"But it will require acknowledgements of our differences and acceptance of a common goal of fundamental social change.
Hines expressed "concern at the short notice and obvious geographic bias of meetings held so far. It is important that if a broad left is to exist, it must be truly representative of the left. This includes students from regional areas who can't simply get to Sydney or Melbourne at the drop of a hat."
Why hadn't left unity proved possible for the current elections? Hines replied, "I think that if there had been a broad left in Tasmania throughout the year that it would have been more appropriate to run a broad left ticket rather than a last minute attempt to attain this unity".
Nikki Ulasowski, the Hobart Resistance organiser, said that it is "absolutely" a problem not having a broad left on campus in Hobart.
"A fragmented left reduces the chances of having a left SRC next year, by splitting the left vote" Ulasowski said. "I think that having two left tickets, especially given the joint work by members of Keep Left and Resistance throughout the year, very clearly sends a message of disunity to the student population.
"Left unity during SRC elections also unites the left in a common program of rebuilding the student movement, and winning students to this perspective."
On the apparent failure of the broad left process in Hobart, Ulasowski pointed out, "Trying and failing to establish a broad left is been better than not trying at all.
"There were various reasons put forward by the members of Keep Left who opposed forming a broad left. However, I think that the failure to put aside what were primarily organisational questions shows a lack of political clarity.
"It seems to me that Keep Left's attitude reflects the past problems of the student left that have previously prevented unity. This is a real shame, given that nationally student activists have started putting aside their differences in the formation of the NBL."