A win for left at Monash Uni

The radical left has won a big victory in student union elections at Monash University. The Left Action ticket won all the positions it contested – two positions in the Environment and Social Justice office, one seat on the Monash student council and two delegates to the National Union of Students.

With Left Action having held the Environment and Social Justice office in 2016, Monash has become one of the most progressive student unions in the country. We organised a street occupation for refugee rights in front of the department of immigration and a student protest against a Liberal Party fundraiser, and pushed the union to mobilise students to attend rallies throughout the year.

We’ve held regular forums on political issues ranging from Black Lives Matter to a debate on Capitalism vs. Socialism, which attracted more than 80 students. Our union has provided support for students in Papua New Guinea under attack from police, and workers on strike in Australia. We sent pizza to striking Coles workers and organised the Monash bar to boycott CUB beer after the company sacked 55 workers.

In contrast to other tickets arguing that the National Union’s primary role is to lobby politicians, we campaigned for a union that will mobilise student resistance.

In the recent elections, Left Action won the Environment and Social Justice office by a margin of 70 percent. We received the most support for our campaign to stop the deportation of Monash University academic Dr Biswajit Banik, who was denied permanent residency because his son has autism and was deemed a burden on Australian health services.

Mobilising more than 200 students and staff and getting wide media coverage was crucial to winning the family permanent residency, demonstrating the importance of having socialists in the union and the strategy of involving large numbers of students in activism.

This year, Left Action won two delegates to the National Union of Students by the largest margin yet. We campaigned in the election for a National Union that takes a stand against federal attacks on student rights, and broader political issues including the barbaric treatment of refugees, neoliberal attacks, police violence towards Indigenous people and the oppression of LGBTI people.

In contrast to other tickets arguing that the National Union’s primary role is to lobby politicians, we campaigned for a union that will mobilise student resistance.

Student unions have the potential to be some of the most progressive institutions in Australia. In order to do this, we need socialists elected who will push them in this direction. We look forward to another year of organising progressive activism and creating a space for left wing politics on university campuses.