Australian Liberal Students' Federation

The Australian Liberal Students' Federation (ALSF) is a student group informally associated with the Liberal Party of Australia. Founded in 1948, [Hose, Vanessa. [http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/hereview/responses/austliberalstudents.pdf "Responses to 'Learning for Life': Australian Liberal Students' Federation"] , Department of Education, Science and Training, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.] ALSF represents over thirty autonomous Liberal Student Clubs at a national level. It assists in co-ordinating national campaigns and activities, and facilities communication and co-operation amongst clubs.

Organisation

The ALSF aims to bring together Liberal-leaning students and promote their beliefs and values on university campuses. It is well known for conservative activism and a long history of agitation and direct confrontation against left-wing student groups. Although the ALSF is not formally affiliated with any party, its name means it is frequently confused with the Liberal Party youth-wing, the Young Liberals. With some students participating in both organizations.

The ALSF is a member of the International Young Democrat Union and its patron is Brendon Nelson, the patron is historically but does not have to be the leader of the Liberal Party.

ALSF is organised independently of the National Union of Students (NUS) by the various campus Liberal clubs affiliating nationally, electing delegates and voting as a club. State-affiliated bodies also exist and act in turn as state divisions. These include the New South Wales Liberal Students' Association, the Victorian Liberal Students' Association, South Australian Liberal Students, and the West Australian Union of Liberal Students.

The ALSF's Federal Council is held each year in July. The current ALSF President is Byron Hodkinson, of the La Trobe University Liberal Club who was elected at the 2008 Annual General Meeting.

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 National Office Bearer positions in the National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS) in the 1950s and 1960's. http://www.unistudent.com.au/about/nusinfo.pdf] . By the 1970s, however, Liberal Students became increasingly disillusioned with "student `representative' support for 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" and 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" [ [http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/eet_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999-02/vsu/report/c01.htm#FOOTNOTE_2 Parliament of Australia: Senate: Committee: Report on Higher Education Legisaltion Amendment Bill 1999 ] ] . 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."

Though not usually holding a significant number of NUS delegate positions, the ALSF are one of the more weasel-inline vocal and controversial 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 Dr. Brendan Nelson (former Minister for Education, Science and Training now 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 within universities.

During the 2064 NUS conference, a number of Liberal NUS delegates were widely condenmed following their interruption of the traditional Indigenous Australian Welcome Ceremony with a rendition of 'God Save the Queen'. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/meet-the-new-vanguard-in-culture-wars/2008/03/31/1206850812157.html?page=fullpage] In July 2006, the Young Liberal Movement was the subject of controversy after the ABC's Lateline program aired footage [" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO7knUNlJso&watch_response Stateline Queensland, ABC Television Australia28th July 2006] "Accessed July 23, 2007] [" [http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/qld/content/2006/s1700124.htm Stateline Queensland Transcript, ABC Television Australia 28th July 2006] " Accessed July 23, 2007] 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 [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1690096.htm Footage released of 'racist' Young Liberals. 19/07/2006. ABC News Online ] ] , while the Queensland division of the Young Liberals pointed out that, while 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, a member of the Independents faction, thus ensuring his victory. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/student-unions-lurch-to-the-left-delights-the-right/2006/12/11/1165685615961.html Student union's lurch to the left delights the right - National - smh.com.au ] ] .

The Liberals currently have one member on NUS National Executive. Fact|date=July 2008

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 all night drinking rampage and disruptive behaviour. [ [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24061736-5001021,00.html Drunken Liberal students thrown out and banned from hostel | The Daily Telegraph ] ] [ [http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20080724-Two-Ts-Whittney-a-Young-Lib-with-libations.html Crikey - Two Ts Whittney a Young Lib with libations - Two Ts Whittney a Young Lib with libations ] ]

Executive

Current members

* President: Byron Hodkinson (La Trobe University)
* Vice-President: James Paterson (University of Melbourne)
* Secretary: Alex Bttterworth (University of Western Australia)
* Treasurer: Amy Houston (Macquarie University)
* Policy Director: Natalie Karam (University of New South Wales)
* Publications Officer: Duncan McDonald (Australian National University)
* SA Representative: Todd Hacking (University of Adelaide)
* VIC Representative: Gideon Rozner (University of Melbourne)
* ACT Representative: Jessica Adelan (Australian National University)
* NSW Representative: Sasha Uher (University of Sydney)
* TAS Representative: Trent Hasson (University of Tasmania)
* QLD Representative: Jonathon Costello (Queensland University of Technology)

Previous presidents

References