Rohan Williams (Left Action)
Hey, I'm Rohan Williams. I'm a socialist, activist, and future psychologist (hopefully!). This year I am running with Left Action for Health Sciences representative.
In a time of historic attacks on our education, the Curtin Guild and National Union of Students (NUS) have been largely absent. The NUS Education Officer has not organised the sort of national campaign that is needed to fight the mass staff sackings and funding cuts we’re seeing. Since Curtin cut $41 million worth of staff last year, the university has been looking for ways to cut costs by bringing in more online learning. After an initial staff and student fightback, there has been a lack of ongoing action from the Guild. But this leaves us vulnerable to future attacks, and understaffed units are still hurting our education quality. This is exactly why Left Action are needed in the Guild, because we are the people who campaign all year round. It is Left Action activists leading the current fight at UWA against their massive cuts to humanities and sciences. This is the strategy the guild should take up to defend our education quality against every cost-cutting measure from the university.
The Guild should also be part of the fight to defend our health under the pandemic. The national Liberal government is launching a murderous campaign to "live with COVID", a plan which involves sacrificing hundreds of lives in the interests of businesses. The Curtin Guild should be using its resources to involve students in the fight to put health over profits, but only Left Action have proven that they can take the lead on this issue. Around Australia, student activists like our Left Action candidates have been taking up this fight and organising against the pathetic excuse of a lockdown in NSW and disastrous national roadmap that will lead to avoidable deaths. Here in WA our candidates have led a protest campaign to fight the Liberal government who are trying to force McGowan to give up on zero covid. The Guild needs to fight these plans and Left Action are needed to be the fighters.
Vote [YES] for NUS Affiliation
Vote [1] Chris MacFarlane for NUS
Vote [1] Marcus Fernihough for Ordinary Representation Board Member