By Erin Killion and Wendy Robertson
On November 21, National Union of Students delegates, office bearers and observers gathered in Campbelltown for the 1998 NSW branch conference. "It was a joke" said Alison Dellit, a Resistance member and delegate from Newcastle University. "The National Organisation of Labor Students (NOLS) used their increased strength to hijack the conference and prevent discussions about the important issues facing the student movement."
Due to low attendance, the conference started five hours late.
Factional deals organised outside the conference meant that all office bearers were elected unopposed.
Due to an increase in Labor delegates in NSW, the "left" NOLS gained the president and women's officer — positions previously held by the non-Labor Left.
The small and regional and general secretary positions went to Unity (Labor right).
The Broad Left won the position of education officer, and the environment officer went to Broad Left (NAL). It looks like Labor will have a majority on the state executive.
The only bright spot in a bad conference for the student movement was the formation of a united Broad Left caucus. Combining student members of Resistance and Left Alliance and other activists, the Broad Left was a step forward in comparison to left disorganisation in previous years.
Policy put forward by the Broad Left included calls for more support for activist campaigns like Jabiluka and the Student and Sustainability conference, and for NUS education, women's and environment officers to work more closely with activist networks.
The BL proposed lower wages for office bearers to permit creation of new sexuality, indigenous and ethnic affairs officers.
The BL sought to have the conference discuss the education campaign, especially the orientation of NUS towards "voluntary student unionism", and the strategy of the union in the upcoming state elections.
The BL agreed that NUS should call for a vote for alternatives to both of the major parties. In response to the BL motion, Labor pushed for a campaign focused on the evils of the Liberals. On the conference floor, Labor blocked the discussion about election strategy raised in the outgoing president's report.
When the non-Labor left had gained enough numbers to pass such policy, Labor delegates called for a quorum count, bringing the conference to an end. The only policies passed were Labor's undemocratic reduction of the size of the education committee and support for a new Asia Pacific Solidarity network.
Nick Harrigan, a member of Left Alliance and a BL delegate from Macquarie Uni, commented, "The Broad Left was a step forward. Hopefully, through ongoing discussion amongst all members of the non-Labor left, a greater level of cooperation will be possible next year."
The challenge now will be to make this a national step forward. A national broad left caucus has been mooted to improve the left's unity against Labor. Resistance has stated its support for such a caucus, such a caucus.
Meanwhile, at the Victorian NUS conference, right-wing Labor students were able to win the key positions, including state president. Their first act in power? Increasing their wages.