Adelaide Student Politics

Despite recent events, it would be foolish to dismiss the political ability of the Labor Right faction.

The right-wing faction of the Labor Party (which runs on its own ticket and is largely hostile to the left-wing Activate ticket) faced an electoral wipeout in the past Union Board elections. All its experienced Union Board directors who were running for reelection, David Wilkins, Simone McDonnell and Claire Wong, lost their seats, to be replaced by PULSE newcomers Andrew Anson, Daniel Bills and Ben Foxwell. Of these, only Andrew Anson appears to be a committed factionalist. All three lack experience, and in the short term are unlikely to provide a counter to the confident voices of Lavinia Emmett-Grey, Rhiannon Newman and Paris Dean.

In such a situation, it is not surprising that the faction sought to regroup. Two months after the election, it came to the attention of the Clubs Association Executive that certain high-profile members of the Labor Right were seeking to affiliate a new club, known as the Bob Hawke Appreciation Society. All new clubs must be approved by Clubs Council in order to gain affiliation.

Clubs Council meetings are usually something of a bore. The biggest challenge is usually to get a quorium of twenty club delegates, after which the group rubber-stamps whatever the executive puts in front of it. Not so the council meeting of Thursday, October 30th, which was a saga worthy of the AUU Board.

The Hawke Club’s president, the afore-mentioned AUU-Board Director Andrew Anson, gave a speech glossing over the life of Hawk, claiming that the club existed in order to honor his memory, as well as promoting ‘politics in an environment free of political wrangling’. He pointed out the Whitlam Institute in Sydney as an example of what the club aspired to.

Matt Taylor, the recently returned Clubs Association President, then opened the floor to questions, unleashing the torrent of critique.

It didn’t take long for Rhiannon Newman (AUU Board Member, Labor Club Secretary, and member of the Labor Left) to ask Andrew if this was simply a cover for another Labor Club. She also expressed theatrical disappointment that Andrew would wish to give Labor twice the representation on the Clubs Council.

Nick Grealy, the President of the Labor Club, restated Rhiannon’s objections in a more systematic manner. He claimed it was a duplicate club, that it raised issues of equality through putting multiple ‘labor voices’ on Council, and that although there had been precedent’s set in other Universities, those decisions had not proved wise. Andrew claimed in response that he wasn’t aware of any difficulties between the Whitlam Institute and the Sydney Labor Club, to which the Labor Left produced a letter from the President of the Sydney Labor Club claiming the opposite.

The letter, by Sydney University Labor Club President Rosemary Ryan, outlined concerns similar to those voiced at the meeting, additionally raising the confusion felt by many new students at choosing between the two clubs, leading to a ‘potentially hostile environment in which they compete for membership and profile’. She urged the council to ‘consider these factors’ in making its decision. Andrew tried to answer the concerns raised by Nick and Rhiannon. Dodgy note-taking on my part means I cannot recall his exact rebuttal, nonetheless, the most significant thing to remember regarding it is that it did little to convince the majority of those present.

Jake Wishart, Board member and (disgraced?) Indy-Go faction member, and President of the Greens on Campus, then took the floor. He asked Andrew ‘Do you take yourself seriously?!?’ He then said that the Hawke club had not approached the other clubs in good faith, and that if it wishes to reform itself, the Greens would be happy to support its affiliation in the future (Jake failed to specify exactly how the Hawk society could redeem itself).

James Gould (Debating delegate) asked why the Hawke Club was not able to celebrate the memory of Bob Hawke within the Labor Club, to which Andrew (by now somewhat flustered) replied: ‘We’re doing it through the Hawke Club’. In a more light-hearted question, Alan Carey (Computer Science Club delegate) put forward that ‘You said this club would be free from political ideology. How will you enforce this freedom?’ Andrew answered that this was doable by taking steps to prevent discrimination according to political beliefs within the Hawke Club.

At this point, David Wilkins (former AUU Board President, Labor Right), looking upset at the turn of mood against a club which was expected to secure affiliation, pointed out that many clubs are about debate and discussion, and that previous possible clashes of objectives had never stopped clubs being affiliated before.

A few more questions followed, after which a vote was taken. Five voted to affiliate the Hawke society (myself included), all others voted against.

After moving on to Other Business, Daniel O’Brien tendered his resignation as Clubs Treasurer in protest over the controversial decision, claiming the council had been swayed by ‘emotional displays’ against the Club rather than solid arguments. ‘I cannot be part of an institution whose values I fundamentally disagree with’. He said that it was not the constitutionally defined role of the Clubs Association to pick which Clubs it deemed worthy of existence, and in the absence of demonstrated wrongdoing, it was not right to refuse a club affiliation. His argument, in essence, while emphasizing what a ‘stupid idea’ he thought the club was, centered on the fact that all concerns raised where hypothetical, and it was impossible to discern how the Hawke Club would indeed operate until it had been given a chance. Take them at their word, and punish them legally if they falter.

As he left the hall, Matt Taylor took this as a cue to pose that the Hawke Society could receive an associate provisional association if council so chose. Many of those who had turned up to Council merely to ensure the Hawke Club did not receive affiliation had left at this point. Daniel’s dramatic resignation, coupled with the departure of many of the Labor Left voices in the hall, led the Club to receive provisional associate affiliation, with five voting against. Associate affiliation treats the Hawke Society as an outside body, and not as a student club. This affects its ability to use Clubs space, and the costs associated with participation in events such as O-Week.

Not all those who voted in the Clubs Council were political hacks. A large body of delegates present were representatives from unaffiliated clubs, unfamiliar with the constitution and looking to do the right thing free from political maneuverings. The arguments put forward by the Hawke Club in its defense did not persuade, while the Labor Club had systematic, persistently voiced concerns that were not adequately rebutted. For this reason, the Hawke Club was denied affiliation. The concerns raised by Daniel O’Brien were largely not shared by the majority of Clubs delegates. Very little of the discussion revolved around the constitutionality of denying affiliation, instead being centered on whether or not the motives of the Hawke Society were pure. Being a decidedly non-political body, it was clear that many delegates resented the mechanisms available to Clubs being used for political advantage, and sought to punish this one way or another.

Realistically speaking, the associate affiliation does little to stop the Hawke Society operating on campus. Any group is able to raise money, host events and rally membership without Clubs Association approval. In fact, given that the largest punishment the Clubs Association may pass down is disaffiliation, a lack of affiliation in the first place gives the Hawke Society an uncommon amount of freedom on campus. It will likely claim political thugs prevented its affiliation, and will continue on much as it would have if its entrance into the Clubs community had been smooth. The moral ostracizing was, like so many things that go on in student politics, largely devoid of long-term significance. Next year will show the fortunes of the Hawke Club in its unaided operation. This observer wouldn’t be surprised if the most widely attended Clubs Council in months had little real effect.