Political Correspondence
1. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR GROUP’S POLITICAL IDEOLOGY AND PRESENCE AT FLINDERS UNIVERSITY? 2. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RECENT RESTRUCTURES, STAFF AND COURSE CUTS AT FLINDERS UNIVERSITY UNDER VICE-CHANCELLOR COLIN STIRLING? 3. HOW DO YOU THINK THE EVENTS OF THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND THE DECISIONS MADE ON BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, WILL IMPACT THE RESULTS OF THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS?
LEFT
SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE
1. We are Marxists and revolutionary socialists. We recognize that all forms of exploitation and oppression are rooted in the profit motive of the economic system that we live under (capitalism) and that we must replace this system with one that places human need over profits (socialism). We believe that change happens from below and through collective actions such as protests and strikes. We are very active here at Flinders, whether that be organising or building towards protests, petitioning for current issues, or running discussion groups. 2. The cuts and restructures that were pushed through last year were a direct attack on staff and students. The line used from Flinders management was that the cuts were responding to “the challenges posed by COVID-19, Jobs Ready Graduate legislation and continuing loss of student load and, therefore revenue” despite the Vice Chancellor Colin Stirling sitting on a whopping $1.7 million a year and the University making a $37.8 million surplus in 2020 (comparatively a $25.1 million surplus was made in 2019). These cuts and restructures are a result of the University being run for profit rather than what it should be run for: a quality education. There has been plenty to protest against the Liberals in the past two years, from the bushfire crisis at the start of 2020 3. and to letting COVID rip across the country. Scott Morrison placing profits over health has rightly made him a hate figure for much of the public. It would be welcome to see the Liberals out of office, but from locking up refugees to supporting the fossil fuel industry Labor has shown no alternative to the Liberals. If Labor do win election, which looks likely, then they must not be let off the hook and should be fought back against when the time comes.
CENTRE
LABOR UNITY
1. Labor Unity (or Unite on campus) is the progressive, pragmatic force on campus. We are proudly centre left believing that government services need to be expanded and that the wealthy should pay their fair share of tax.
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