Left Alliance (australia) Article Index for
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Left Alliance (australia)




Left Alliance went through a trough in the mid-1990s as the NAL became entrenched as the dominant non-ALP grouping within the student movement. Left Alliance began to grow again in 1996 when the Liberal/National Coalition was re-elected federally, recruiting many of the core organisers of the 1996-1997 campaigns against the new government's higher education reforms. By 1998, Left Alliance was once again the dominant non-ALP grouping within the student movement and National Union of Students. However, its turbulent history had left it with many contradictions, the chief being its attempt to be a broad left grouping (its original purpose) at the same time as being a political organisation with a defined radical position (its actual nature after 1992 or so). These contradictions led to major conflicts within the group, which polarised between a pro-leadership grouping and a NSW-based internal faction called the Libertarian Communist Collective (later Love and Rage). As a result of these conflicts, Love and Rage split from Left Alliance in early 1999 and initiated the process of creating the National Broad Left .

NUS National Office Bearers from Left Alliance, 1987-1999

1999

Women's - Geneveive Derwent - University of Technology, Sydney

1998

Education - Katrina Curry - University of Sydney

1997

Education - Jackie Lynch - Latrobe University

Women's - Gemma Pinnell - Monash University, Clayton (left NAL for LA mid-1997)

Environment - Mat Fagan - Southern Cross University, Lismore (left NAL for LA mid-1997)

1996

None

1995

Environment - Kirsten O'Brien - James Cook University, Townsville (left NAL for LA mid-1995)

1994

None

1993

Education - Toby Borgeest - University of Melbourne

1992

Education - Rob Houghton - Flinders University

1991

General Secretary - Nicole Asquith - University of Melbourne

1990

None

1989

Education - Kiri Evans

Women's - Miranda Saunders - University of Melbourne

1988 ?