(Feature image) delegates line up for the most important session of the day, Dinner Conference (DinCon).
The nation’s student politicians have gathered in Ballarat for day three of the National Conference (NatCon) of the National Union of Students (NUS). Once again there was passionate debate on NUS policy and the stance of the NUS on issues national and abroad.
HECS is best
On the agenda for the morning session was the NUS’ education platform for the coming year. First up was a motion moved by Danica Scott, a member of SAlt from Curtin University, that called for the abolition of HECS debt and for university education to be free. It described HECS as an “attack on free education in Australia by the Hawke Labor government.”
Grace Hill, NUS Queer Officer and member of SAlt, spoke for the motion. She said, “HECS is an income tax for the working class for something that primarily benefits the rich.”
Unity spoke in opposition to the motion, arguing that HECS is a benefit for the higher education system and makes higher education more accessible. Multiple Unity speakers used the line, “Why should bus drivers pay for the university of lawyers?” This drew calls of “Tax the rich” from Grassroots, SAlt, and Grindies.
The motion failed with Unity voting against.
The next motion was a Unity-backed one, moved by Jonathan De La Pena of Deakin University, that contrastingly espoused the benefits of the HECS system. The motion describes HECS as “the best educational programme for elevating students in Australia” but recognises “gaps” that the NUS should work to fill. A Unity speaker described free education as “dog shit.”
Unity speakers used the bus driver line as well as chants of “HECS is best.” Another Unity member said “I’m glad that HECS is here to deliver for students… I’m so proud that HECS is best.”
An NLS member got up in opposition to the motion, saying “at best it [HECS] locks people out of education and housing. As my comrades in SAlt have said, it is literally an income tax on the working class.”
The motion carried on Unity support alone.
Condemning Modi
A procedural motion was passed this morning banning student media from publishing the name or the faction of speakers on a motion condemning India’s Modi government. This was in addition to bans on filming on the conference floor.
Two factions supported condemning Modi’s government, one didn’t. It failed.
No men on the floor please, it’s time for women’s issues.
The afternoon session started with issues that women face. To a motion on cost-of-living and gender inequality, a SAlt speaker said that oppression of women is a product of structural inequalities afforded by capitalism. He was heckled by a woman in Unity’s front row- “Stop it, sit the fuck down, you are a man.” He had half the speaking time before mic removal. The motion was passed, with universal agreement.
A procedural ban of all cis men from speaking was introduced, and was passed on Unity support.
An NLS person spoke on account of transphobia: “you [SAlt] guys are all disgusting.” Feminism is not all intersectional. SAlt was trying to get its speakers to say they are non-binary, which is shameful.” Another NLS speaker referred to all the yelling and screaming through the conference as “inherently violent” while Jasmine Duffy (SAlt) continuously yelled at the speaker.
All motions surrounding NUS’s acknowledgement of women’s structural and cultural inequality were passed with universal support from the conference floor.
Amending Palestine motions
Meanwhile, as the ethno-cultural chapter ensued, at least a dozen amendments were made to motions. Many motions covered topics ranging from racism, immigration and the Israel-Palestine conflict. SAlt’s Jasmine Duffy said “these amendments are ways of watering down the motions surrounding the genocide in Palestine.” All amendments were passed through a majority vote of Unity.
NUS positions
The evening session began with an announcement of members elected unopposed to NUS positions. Factional deals for positions often decide NUS elections, meaning many positions go unopposed. Here’s the NUS office bearer positions announced yesterday:
NUS President: Ngaire Bogemann, NLS
NUS General Secretary: Jonathan De La Pena, Unity
Disabilities officer: Mairead Foley
Education Officer: Grace Franco
Ethnocultural Officer: Sa’Jacinto Hedus
Indigenous Officer: Chandra Altoff
International Student Officer: Reynal Adrien
LGBTI Officer: Edwina Stephenson, Elisha Gutteridge
Welfare Officer: Sabrine Yassine
Women’s Officer: Ela Akyol
Ethnocultural issues
The NUS again carried a motion in the evening session to forbid student journalists from reporting the names of speakers on motion 11.5, which the factions deemed sensitive and speakers faced risk of retribution. The motion was about “separating policy from prejudice” in relation to the AUKUS deal. The motion reaffirms NUS support for AUKUS whilst condemning xenophobic rhetoric around Chinese-Australians, and recognising criticisms against the ruling Chinese Communist Party should never result in prejudice against the Chinese community. The motion carried.
Security entered the conference floor during discussion on a SAlt-backed motion to condemn National Socialist Network, an Australian neo-Nazi group, and for the NUS to support ‘Campaign Against Racism and Fascism’. An NLS speaker said “I’m not a big fan of Nazis” but condemned the use of the NUS platform for SAlt to promote their own activism. After NLS voted against the motion, the SAlt section of the conference erupted. The chair struggled to control the situation, and security moved in to diffuse the situation. Once settled, he handed over another Unity member “emotions are high, tensions are high.”
The conference took a much more subdued and even cooperative mood for the rest of the night, with more motions on Palestine discussed. NatCon took a minute of silence for Palestine, and heard speeches from Palestinians from NLS and Unity. The floor got up and cheered “free, free, Palestine!”
Stay posted on Tertangala’s socials for more updates on NatCon this week.
This article was written by Will Olteanu and Ronan Colley.
*Amendment: the original version of this article said that the ban on cis men speaking was “passed via a Unity-NLS majority.” NLS did not support this motion.