National Organisation of Labor Students
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The National Organisation of Labor Students (usually known as NOLS), is a factional grouping operating within the Australian National Union of Students, generally sympathetic towards the Left faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is not to be confused with the British body sometimes known by the same name.
NOLS is not officially affiliated to the ALP, and it describes its position as being "critically supportive" of the party. NOLS is avowedly socialist, specifically opposed to HECS, and to most of the economic measures introduced by the Hawke and Keating Governments. It is also critical of many aspects of the ALP's social policy.
NOLS' slogan depicts it as being centred around the four tenets of "Socialism, Feminism, Democracy and Solidarity". Its usual symbol is the rose and its preferred colour is red.
NOLS is one of the single most powerful factions within NUS. Its power base is primarily campuses within New South Wales and Queensland. Recent presidents, with the exception of Jodie Jansen, have mostly been from Sydney.
Historically, the faction's origins lie in the previous Council of Australian Labor Party Students (CALPS) that existed during the days of the Australian Union of Students (AUS) and incorporated students from both the Left and Right wings of the ALP. A number of members of CALPS took part of the campaign to wind up the AUS.
CALPS was reconstituted as NOLS, with the Left firmly in a position of dominance within the organisation. NOLS members of both the Left and Right were active in establishing the new National Union.
Labor students were divided over the Hawke Government's introduction of HECS in 1989. Students of the Right, who supported HECS, were marginalised and eventually left the faction with the formation of Student Unity in 1991.
A further split was in 1997, when NOLS members from Victoria and Western Australia left and registered the name NOLS, Inc. They are now known as the Australian Labor Students or ALS. This grouping initially took an ideological position to the right of NOLS, but subsequently moved to the left. Efforts to reunite the two groups have so far not borne fruit.
Even before the formation of Student Unity, it was customary within the union for Labor Left students to gain the presidency while Labor Right students gain the position of Deputy President/General Secretary. This arrangement has continued throughout the existence of NUS, with NOLS and Unity participating in a perpetual "sweetheart deal" to give NOLS President and Unity General Secretary. NOLS' dealings with other factions are mixed. It will frequently co-operate with other factions outside of the ALP in order to limit the influence of Unity.
The current President of the NUS is Felix Eldridge from Sydney University.