Australian Liberal Students' Federation - National Union of Students

National Union of Students

The Australian Liberal Students' Federation has had a long history of engagement and influence in national student bodies since its inception, and held numerous office bearer positions in the National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS) in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, however, Liberal students became increasingly disillusioned with student representatives' support for what they saw as radical fringe elements mostly operating in foreign countries, "many of them allegedly engaged either in terrorist activities or as front-line supporters of authoritarian regimes". It said that "Instead of properly performing its core role as an advocate for student interests and a provider of student services it became hostage to extremist views more interested in international affairs than domestic education policies". The "The AUS folded in 1984 after a lengthy campaign by the Australian Liberal Students’ Federation, the Fraser Government and state Liberal Governments to destroy it."

The ALSF is one of the groups within the National Union of Students (NUS) organisation. Its central policy platform is the principle of Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) and it supports, and had input into, the reforms to Australian higher education introduced by Brendan Nelson (former minister for education, science and training, and former leader of the opposition). The ALSF supports increased deregulation of the tertiary sector, and, particularly with the implementation of VSU, presents itself as being an advocate for freedom of choice and freedom of association within universities. However, the Australian Universities Liberal Clubs (AULC), the precusor body to ALSF had for many years generally supported compulsory student unionism. After a fierce contest, this policy was changed in 1976 by a group led by Julian Glynn (then president of the Adelaide University Liberal Club), who became ALSF president in 1977 on a platform of opposing purported communist domination of student politics and support for VSU. His main supporters were Abetz, Abbott and Simon Withers (son of former senator Reg Withers), all of whom were Liberal Student Club presidents at the time.

The Liberals currently have one member on NUS national executive: Joshua Young (University of Queensland Liberal Club), who was elected as state president of the Queensland branch of NUS. This is the first time in the history of NUS that a Liberal student has been elected to the position.

During the 2004 NUS conference, a number of Liberal NUS delegates were condemned after they interrupted the traditional indigenous Australian welcome-to-country ceremony with a rendition of 'God Save the Queen'.

In July 2006, the Young Liberal Movement were the subject of controversy after the ABC's Lateline program aired footage from the 2005 National Union of Students' conference in Ballarat. The video included Liberal students chanting "We're racist, we're sexist, we're homophobic". The president of the New South Wales Young Liberals released a statement condemning the outbursts, while the Queensland division of the Young Liberals said that although one prominent Young Liberal member was involved, the students were delegates elected by their university's student body; as such, they were members of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation.

Despite attempts by Student Unity to gain the votes of Liberal students in favour of Unity Candidate Camden Gilchrist, Liberal students delivered their votes to Mathew Chuk, an independent, thus ensuring his victory.

During a conference for Liberals in July 2008 in Canberra, about 40 university students from of the ALSF - some of them Young Liberals - were thrown out and banned from a youth hostel after an alleged all-night drinking session in which they supposedly engaged in disruptive behaviour.