National Labor Students
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National Labor Students (NLS) is a factional grouping operating within the Australian National Union of Students. It is oriented towards the Socialist Left of the Australian Labor Party, although membership of the ALP (or the Socialist Left) is not required.
The faction was formed by the merger of the two pre-existing Labor Left factions, the National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) and Australian Labor Students (ALS), on 1 January 2006, following a decision at the NUS 2005 National Conference. The name "National Labor Students" was adopted on 26 June 2006 at the NLS mid-year conference in July.
Policy
National Labor Students has policies in support of
- Free education (as opposed to HECS)
- Feminism
- Non-violent direct action
- Universal Student Unionism.[citation needed]
NUS National
NLS is now the largest faction in NUS, controlling approximately 35% of votes at the 2005 NUS National Conference.[citation needed] While its numbers were somewhat diminished at the 2006 National Conference (after the resignation of four of their delegates from QUT, which had elected more NLS delegates than any other campus in the country), NLS gained control of the National Executive of NUS, and elected three National Office Bearers, as part of an agreement which divided up all office bearers amongst left-wing factions, with the exception of the NUS General Secretary, which was won by a member of the Independents despite NLS actively supporting Unity.
NLS national office bearers for 2007 are:
- Michael Nguyen, National President, University of Technology, Sydney;
- Pete Johnson, National Queer Officer, University of Sydney.
- Sheena Watt, National Indigenous Officer, Queensland University of Technology.
- Kobie Howe, National Small & Regional Students Officer University of Canberra
NLS national office bearers for 2008 include:
Angus Mcfarland, National President (The University of Sydney - Students representative council)
NUS State branches
NLS also hold the positions of NUS state branch president in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia: in 2007
- David Barrow, New South Wales, University of Sydney ;
- Sarah Cole, Victoria, La Trobe University (Bundoora);
- Kat Henderson, Queensland, University of Queensland;
- Rhiannon Newman, South Australia, University of Adelaide.
National Labor Students also hold other state NUS office bearer positions.
Campus Presidents
This is an incomplete list of Labor Students presidents of Australian student organisations for 2008.
- Peter Boyle, La Trobe University Student Representative Council
- Kara Sheehan, La Trobe University Student Guild
- Rose Khalilizadeh, University of Sydney Union
- Alice Migdale, Edith Cowan University Student Guild
- Daniel Doran (2007), Queensland University of Technology Student Guild
- Emma Lancaster, University of Technology, Sydney, Students' Association
- Phuong Au, University of New South Wales Student Guild
- Mathew Hilakari, Monash Student Association
- Kate Laing, University of Sydney Students' Representative Council
- Kobie Howe, University of Canberra Students' Association