National Organisation of Labor Students

The National Organisation of Labor Students (usually known as NOLS), is a factional grouping operating within the Australian National Union of Students, generally sympathetic towards the Left faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is not to be confused with the British body sometimes known by the same name.

Related Topics:
Factional - National Union of Students - Left - Faction - Australian Labor Party - British body

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NOLS is not officially affiliated to the ALP, and it describes its position as being "critically supportive" of the party. Although NOLS is avowedly socialist, historically opposed to HECS, and to most of the economic measures introduced by the Hawke and Keating Governments, these areas have been subject to much debate in recent conferences with positions on economic issues becoming more and more ambigious.

Related Topics:
Socialist - HECS - Hawke - Keating

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NOLS is also critical of many aspects of the ALP's social policy, particularly with regard to the rights of queer people, and women.

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NOLS' slogan depicts it as being centred around the four tenets of "Socialism, Feminism, Unionism, and Democracy". Its symbol is the rose similar to that used in the Socialist International logo, though with the focus of the organisation drifting from economic issues to issues of identity politics the logo is not used all that much.

Related Topics:
Socialism - Feminism - Unionism - Democracy - Rose - Socialist International - Identity politics

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NOLS is one of the single most powerful factions within NUS. Its power base is primarily campuses within New South Wales and Queensland. Recent presidents, with the exception of Jodie Jansen, have mostly been from the University of Sydney.

Related Topics:
New South Wales - Queensland - Jodie Jansen - University of Sydney

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Historically, the faction's origins lie in the previous Council of Australian Labor Party Students (CALPS) that existed during the days of the Australian Union of Students (AUS) and incorporated students from both the Left and Right wings of the ALP. A small number of members of CALPS took part of the campaign to wind up the AUS.

Related Topics:
Council of Australian Labor Party Students - Australian Union of Students - Right

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CALPS was reconstituted as NOLS, with the Left firmly in a position of dominance within the organisation. NOLS members of both the Left and Right were active in establishing the new National Union.

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Labor students were divided over the Hawke Government's introduction of HECS in 1989. Due to a combination personal and political differences and a series of power struggles, right wing Labor students eventually left the faction forming Student Unity in 1991.

Related Topics:
1989 - Student Unity

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A further split occured in 1997, when NOLS members from Victoria and Western Australia withdrew from the faction due to a pre-selection dispute. They are now known as the Australian Labor Students or ALS. This grouping initially took an ideological position to the right of NOLS, but subsequently moved to the left. Efforts to reunite the two groups are begining to bear fruit with both factions holding combined events and tacking a common position on policy debates.

Related Topics:
1997 - Australian Labor Students

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Even prior the formation of Student Unity, it was customary within the union for Labor Left students to gain the presidency, and the Labor Right students to gain the position of Deputy President/General Secretary. This arrangement has continued throughout the existence of NUS, with NOLS and Student Unity participating in a perpetual "sweetheart deal" to give NOLS President and Unity General Secretary. NOLS' dealings with other factions are mixed. It will frequently co-operate with other factions outside of the ALP in order to maximise thier representation on the NUS committees, executive, and within the array of office bearing positions available in the national and state offices of NUS.

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The current National President of NOLS is Jon Hames from the University of Queensland, and the current President of the NUS is Felix Eldridge from Sydney University.

Related Topics:
Felix Eldridge - Sydney University

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