By Corinne Glenn
PERTH — Many students at Curtin University aren't aware that at many other universities student guilds and student representative councils play a part in building rallies against the Liberals' attacks on education as well as supporting other progressive political campaigns.
This is understandable given that Curtin Student Guild has done little to build the education campaign. It half-heartedly built the first student and NTEU national day of action in May, then withdrew support (including barring activists from access to photocopying facilities) and left the campaign work to student activists. For the August 7 national day of action the guild counterposed an on-campus meeting to a cross-campus rally organised by campaign activists.
Curtin guild is run by Unity, an ALP right faction. The Labor right has run the guild for five years in which it has closed the guild's women's department and the disabled students department.
It has also made the guild less democratic by reversing the requirement to notify students about guild elections and making non-guild members ineligible to nominate as candidates. In response to the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation, Unity has tried to turn the guild into a small business with an amusement centre, vending machines and other money-spinners. It has also failed to provide students with support services and has refused to campaign against the Liberals' attacks on education.
Student activists who want to inject democracy, political activism and representation back into the guild have formed HEAT — the Higher Education Action Team to contest the guild elections. HEAT is standing: Arun Pradhan, a member of the socialist youth organisation Resistance, for president; four campaign activists for other executive positions; 12 for guild councillor positions and six delegates to the National union of Students (NUS). HEAT, which involves feminists as well as activists fighting racism and homophobia on campus, is demanding, "A fighting guild for a fighting chance" .
"The only way to defend the education sector, not just against this round of attacks but against the general drive toward a full user-pays system begun by the federal ALP, is through mass opposition", said Pradhan. "Both in the education campaign and through the Curtin guild, HEAT intends to help build and organise the fightback. This means that we are supporting the Stop the Budget rally on September 5 and are encouraging the links with other sectors. such as TAFE, high school and trade unions, who are also fighting back."
HEAT faces a tough election campaign. Unity is pulling out all stops to prevent activists from being elected. As well as their main ticket Directions, Unity is running three dummy tickets: Going Out With a Bang, United Students and Athena, which have all swapped preferences. Athena is a women's ticket headed by Donna Leung who was involved in shutting down the women's department. Other tickets include the ALP left students' ticket Reform and the Young Liberals' ticket The Student Party.
Despite the competition HEAT has a good chance of winning due to the activists' involvement in progressive campaigns. Elections will take place September 10-12 and all students who want to strengthen the education and other campaigns, and revitalise and democratise the guild are urged to vote for HEAT.