SRC PRESIDENT’S REPORT

SRC PRESIDENT’S REPORT SRC PRESIDENT’S REPORT

ANA OBRADOVIC | SRC PRESIDENT

At the time of writing, Albanese’s ALP has secured at least 76 seats in the House of Representatives, winning a majority in the Lower House.

It’s great to see the backs of Morrison, Frydenberg and Kristina Kenneally, as well as the 6% primary vote drop for the LNP. This is a judgement on their agenda of ruling for the rich, racist treatment of refugees, extreme neglect regarding aged and health care reform, cuts to education funding and indifference on climate change.

Meanwhile Labor, who’ve agreed with the LNP on many of these

issues, have seen their primary vote sink to historic lows. They’ve won government, but mostly because they’re not as hated as the Liberals. The conclusion taken by the party last election cycle – that they lost because they were too left wing and needed to shift rightwards – is refuted by the fact that their primary vote share was reduced on this more rightwing program, and many of their seats won off the back of Greens preferences. It’s also worth noting that Western Australia’s 11% ALP swing in some seats is undeniably attributable to the state government’s prohealth, (though inconsistent) proworker stance.

The historic Greens vote is welcome. It tells us that there are over a million voters in Australia seeking politics to the left of Labor. Their policies of taxation on the rich, adding dental to medicare, capping rents and wiping student debt are good class demands that must continue to be fought for now that Labor is in power.

But we should acknowledge that Adam Bandt’s pledge of “stability” for Albanese’s government is completely the wrong approach. To win anything we’ll need to fight, not conciliate with the most right-wing Labor government in years. This government has pledged to keep coal mines open as long as possible, opportunistically freed the Biloela family while maintaining the Liberal’s militarised Operation Sovereign Borders, and cut $95 billion in taxes for the wealthy.

The historic vote for Victorian Socialists (outpolling the far-right at over 5% primary votes in some electorates) is a breath of fresh air. Victorian Socialists stood on an unapologetically pro-working class platform, championing a $30 minimum wage, nationalisation of aged care and fossil fuel companies, mass expansions of public housing, welcoming refugees, taxing the rich and support for union struggles. The strong vote bodes well for getting a socialist elected to parliament in the Victorian state elections.

The new federal government inherits a massive budget deficit alongside a cost of living crisis, ongoing pandemic and accelerating climate destruction. We can expect the ALP to enforce sacrifices for the working class in the name of restabilising the Australian economy.

As such, it’s important that our unions make demands of those in power.

Your SRC has collaborated with climate activists to build the divestment campaign on campus. We’ve held stalls to build the World Refugee Day rally opposing boat turnbacks. We’ve organised historic actions to fight staff and course cuts. We’ve supported anti-fascist activism and organised a forum on understanding the new farright.

The rich have never had it better. Our university posted profits of almost $200 million last year. Yet our education quality is plummeting and corporate interests shape what we get to learn.

So, we’re back on campus this semester with a fire in our bellies and we hope you’ll join us – because we know no one is coming to save us but us, and if you don’t fight, you lose.