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 as the Australian Universities Liberal Federation, the ALSF represents over thirty autonomous Liberal Student Clubs at a national level. It assists in co-ordinating national campaigns and activities, and facilitates 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 liberal and conservative activism and intense policy debates. 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, however there is some crossover in the memberships of 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.

The members of ALSF are the various campus Liberal clubs who affiliate and elect delegates to the annual Federal Council. State bodies also exist, including 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. . 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" . 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 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, former 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 and freedom of association within universities.

During the 2004 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'.

In July 2006, the Young Liberal Movement was the subject of controversy after the ABC's Lateline program aired footage 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 , 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. .

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.

Constituent Clubs

• Adelaide University Liberal Club
• Australian National University Liberal Club
• Bond University Liberal Club
• Canberra University Liberal Club
• Curtin University Liberal Club
• Deakin University Liberal Club
• Edith Cowan University Liberal Club
• Griffith University Liberal Club
• James Cook University Liberal Club
• La Trobe University Liberal Club
• Macquarie University Liberal Club
• Murdoch University Liberal Club
• Newcastle University Liberal Club
• Notre Dame University Liberal Club (Fremantle)
• Notre Dame University Liberal Club (Sydney)
• Queensland University of Technology Liberal Club
• RMIT University Liberal Club
• Swinburne University Liberal Club
• Sydney University Liberal Club
• University of Melbourne Liberal Club
• University of New England Liberal Club
• University of New South Wales Liberal Club
• University of Queensland Liberal Club
• University of South Australia Liberal Club
• University of Tasmania Liberal Club
• University of Technology Sydney Liberal Club
• University of Western Australia Liberal Club
• University of Western Sydney Liberal Club
• University of Wollongong Liberal Club
• Victoria University Liberal Club

Executive

Current members

• President: Alex Butterworth (University of Western Australia)
• Vice-President: Sasha Uher (University of Sydney)
• Secretary: Rob Langdon (La Trobe University)
• Treasurer: Duncan McDonald (Australian National University)
• Policy Director: Mark Joyce (University of Adelaide)
• Publications Officer: Clinton Markwell (University of Melbourne)
• SA Representative: Ryan Post (Flinders University)
• VIC Representative: Lydia Bevege (University of Melbourne)
• ACT Representative: Candice Burch (Australian National University)
• NSW Representative: Adrian Pryke (University of Sydney)
• TAS Representative: Whittney Jago (University of Tasmania)
• QLD Representative: Gil Albertson (Queensland University of Technology)
• WA Representative: Tom White (University of Western Australia)

Previous presidents

• 1967-68: Ian Renard (University of Melbourne)
• 1968-69: Ian Renard (University of Melbourne)
• 1969-70: Eric Growthe (University of Sydney)
• 1970-71: Paul McClintock (University of Sydney)
• 1971-72:
• 1972-73:
• 1973-74:
• 1974-75: John Roberts
• 1975-76: Robert Rae
• 1976-77: Paul Coughlin
• 1977-78: Julian Glynn
• 1978-79: Michael Kroger (Monash University)
• 1979-80: Simon Withers (University of Western Australia)
• 1980-81: Eric Abetz (University of Tasmania)
• 1981-82: David Bloom
• 1982-83: Tony Dimmitt
• 1983-84: Richard Camm (University of Western Australia)
• 1984-85: Richard Camm (University of Western Australia)
• 1985-86: Paul Shalhoub (University of New South Wales)
• 1986-87: Cliff Smith
• 1987-88: Michael Hughes (University of Sydney)
• 1988-89: Gerard Wheeler (Australian National University)
• 1989-90: Gerard Wheeler (Australian National University)
• 1990-91: Justin Mannolini (University of Western Australia)
• 1991-92: Julian Sheezel (University of Queensland)
• 1992-93: Bradley Woods (Griffith University, QLD)
• 1993-94: Alan Rosengarten (Monash University)
• 1994-95: Justin Owen (University of Sydney)
• 1995-96: Thomas Robertson (University of Western Australia)
• 1996-97: Paul Gye (Macquarie University)
• 1997-98: Vanessa Hose (University of Melbourne)
• 1998-99: Nick Tolley (Australian National University)
• 1999-2000: Scott Pearce (University of Melbourne)
• 2000-01: Matthew Fergusson-Stewart (Edith Cowan University)
• 2001-02: Adam Lane (Queensland University of Technology)
• 2002-03: Lorraine van der Ende (University of Western Australia)
• 2003-04: Tanya Sklepic (Australian National University)
• 2004-05: Julian Barendse(University of Melbourne)
• 2005-06: Julian Barendse (University of Melbourne)
• 2006-07: Timothy Andrews (University of Sydney)
• 2007-08: Timothy Andrews (University of Sydney)
• 2008-09: Byron Hodkinson (La Trobe University)

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