“Et tu, Pink?” sent shockwaves through student political scenes last year. This saw the fall of a 14 year reign and Tweedledum and Tweedledee storm the University of Sydney’s SRC to “head kick” key members of SLS. At UTS, we saw NLS/Unity under “Elevate” lose to Grassroots, posing the question of whether this was due to people from the ALP campaigning for Grassroots, or due to people from the ALP not campaigning for Elevate. As a result, 2014 will see no single faction dominate the Sydney student politics scene.
Now the University of Sydney gets to watch the salting of the earth and grass grow. UTS will no longer be televised. This, however, is more of the systematic split between Grassroots and Socialist Alternative over NUS and campus politics. Let’s hope this unlikely coalition of radicals, reformists and degenerates can form an effective body against Abbott.
Student politics at UNSW consists mostly of bad meals and worse meetings, and floods of blood and piss during SRC elections. This may mean so little to the average student but is of the utmost importance to student politicians with bragging rights, politicians keenly not taking an interest, and a line on one’s resume at stake.
Last year saw Voice win SRC elections for the tenth year in a row with 75% of the primary vote. Some attribute this to Voice’s well run campaign, while some due to the election’s timing, and others to disunity within Centre Unity. All that can be said, as someone who has campaigned for Voice for the previous 4 years is “if you come at the King, you better not miss”.
And let’s not forget the Liberals and their non-existent factional war. This war has waged for many a year with the various shades of regal blue bloods resulting in many casualties and clubs disaffiliated for bringing Arc into disrepute. We have recently seen the resurgence of militant religious fundamentalists both on campus and in Afghanistan. Suffice to say, at this O-week go ask Freedom Club and the Liberalism Society what occurred between two former Young Liberal Presidents in the Speakers Dining room at NSW State Parliament. Why? Because they couldn’t possibly comment.
David Bailey-Mckay
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