Sydney University Liberal Club
Encyclopedia
The Sydney University Liberal Club (SULC) is student association, operating under the auspices of the University of Sydney Union
(USU).
The club hosts a range of policy debates, social events, campaign workshops, student election campaigns, and guest speaker events with Member of Parliament
(Members of Parliament). It is an affiliate of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation
.
AC.
Whilst many members of the Club are members of the Liberal Party of Australia
, and the Young Liberals
, the Club itself is not formally affiliated with the party.
One of the defining debates in the Club over the past 30 years has been Voluntary Student Unionism
(VSU). With the exception of a long period in the late 90s, the Sydney University Liberal Club has been a consistent supporter of voluntary student unionism, and has attracted national media coverage in recent years for its pro-VSU counterprotests .
In 2011, over 250 attendees from Sydney University, Macquarie University
, University of Technology Sydney, University of New South Wales
, University of Western Sydney
, and the University of Wollongong
attended the competition.
Each year the grand finals features an adjudication and keynote address by John Howard
, and adjudications by notable conservatives like Tony Abbott
, Malcolm Turnbull
, Janet Albrechtsen
, Piers Akerman
, Julian Leeser, Natasha Maclaren-Jones
, Tom Switzer
, and Paul Fletcher
.
The Cup was initiated by then Vice President Alex Dore, who has organised the Cup since inception. Winning teams of the competition have been:
In 2009, the club drew controversy in The Australian
after a hostile takeover attempt by the "far-right" was quashed at an Annual General Meeting chaired by David Clarke
MLC, and attended by Marie Ficarra
MLC and Dominic Perrottet
MP. An investigation by the Liberal Party
ensued after allegations of threatening behaviour towards young members of the club.
In May 2011, this same "far-right" group again drew controversy in the Sydney Morning Herald after the Vice President and Secretary noticed the addition of over 60 international students to the club membership list just hours before a scheduled Ordinary Meeting. The Ordinary Meeting was subsequently disbanded by security, and a scheduled Annual General Meeting was postponed until September by the University of Sydney Union
(USU). The stacking was instigated by then club President Adrian Pryke after his defection to the hard-right.
The club has also been a major contributor to the "Make Education Fair" campaign, headed by the Young Liberals
. This campaign was created with the stated purpose of exposing and reducing political bias throughout all levels of education . A Senate enquiry conducted to examine this potential bias, saw many club members provide evidence.
University of Sydney Union
The University of Sydney Union is the student-run services and amenities provider at the University of Sydney. The Union's key services include the provision of food and beverages, live music and other entertainment, the Verge Arts Festival and other cultural activities, Orientation week and...
(USU).
The club hosts a range of policy debates, social events, campaign workshops, student election campaigns, and guest speaker events with Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(Members of Parliament). It is an affiliate of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation
Australian Liberal Students' Federation
The Australian Liberal Stduents' Federation or ALSF is an Australian students political group. The ALSF is the peak national body for over thirty campus Liberal Clubs. While the ALSF carries similar ideology to the Liberal Party of Australia and works closely with the party it is an Independent...
.
History
Established in 1933, the Sydney University Liberal Club is the oldest continuously running Liberal Club in Australia. The official Patron of the Sydney University Liberal Club is Former Prime Minister 1996-2007, John HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
AC.
Whilst many members of the Club are members of the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, and the Young Liberals
Young Liberals (Australia)
The Young Liberal Movement is the youth division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and membership is open to those between 16 and 30 years of age. Members of Young Liberals have full party-membership, and have the choice of which part they join...
, the Club itself is not formally affiliated with the party.
One of the defining debates in the Club over the past 30 years has been Voluntary Student Unionism
Voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
(VSU). With the exception of a long period in the late 90s, the Sydney University Liberal Club has been a consistent supporter of voluntary student unionism, and has attracted national media coverage in recent years for its pro-VSU counterprotests .
John Howard Debating Cup
In 2010 the club launched the annual John Howard Debating Cup with the purpose of celebrating the legacy of the Howard Government and providing a forum for public policy debate to Liberal Students. The Howard Cup is an intervarsity debating competition between Liberal Clubs across New South Wales, consisting of preliminary rounds and a grand finals.In 2011, over 250 attendees from Sydney University, Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
, University of Technology Sydney, University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and the University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
attended the competition.
Each year the grand finals features an adjudication and keynote address by John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, and adjudications by notable conservatives like Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
, Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
, Janet Albrechtsen
Janet Albrechtsen
Janet Kim Albrechtsen is a conservative Australian opinion columnist with the News Limited-owned newspaper, The Australian. From 2005 through 2010, she was a member of the Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia's state-owned national broadcaster.-Early life and...
, Piers Akerman
Piers Akerman
Piers Akerman is a right-wing commentator and columnist for The Daily Telegraph.-Brief biography:Born in Wewak, Papua New Guinea, Piers Akerman was raised in Perth by his parents, John, an Australian Government doctor, and Eve Akerman , a newspaper columnist and reviewer in Western Australia. He...
, Julian Leeser, Natasha Maclaren-Jones
Natasha Maclaren-Jones
Natasha Maclaren-Jones is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since March 2011. Before Parliament, Natasha was a senior advisor to Helen Coonan and Bronwyn Bishop and was the State Liberal Party President that...
, Tom Switzer
Tom Switzer
Tom Switzer is editor of The Spectator Australia, succeeding Oscar Humphries in December 2009. He is also a research associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney where he teaches American politics and history...
, and Paul Fletcher
Paul Fletcher
Paul Fletcher is the name of:* Paul Fletcher * Paul Fletcher , Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives* Paul Fletcher...
.
The Cup was initiated by then Vice President Alex Dore, who has organised the Cup since inception. Winning teams of the competition have been:
- 2010 - University of Wollongong Liberal Club
- 2011 - Sydney University Liberal Club
Controversy
In 2006 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the club had become more conservative after a former member of the club proposed a resolution to reintroduce the death penalty for "heinous crimes", and to strip non-Christians of the Christmas and Easter holidays . This prompted allegations of 'strong conservatism', and claims that it risked the Liberal Party's reputation as "a broad church",, even though these motions failed to pass or to attract any significant support.In 2009, the club drew controversy in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
after a hostile takeover attempt by the "far-right" was quashed at an Annual General Meeting chaired by David Clarke
David Clarke
-Entertainment:* David Clarke , motion picture and Broadway actor* Dave Clarke * Dave Clarke , techno DJ from England-Sport:* David Clarke , English footballer...
MLC, and attended by Marie Ficarra
Marie Ficarra
Marie Ann Ficarra MLC is an Australian politician who has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 24 March 2007. She was previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Electoral District of Georges River, but was defeated...
MLC and Dominic Perrottet
Dominic Perrottet
Dominic Francis Perrottet MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Castle Hill for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2011.-Early life and background:...
MP. An investigation by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party
Liberal Party is the name for dozens of political parties around the world. Liberal parties can be center-left, centrist, or center-right depending on their location...
ensued after allegations of threatening behaviour towards young members of the club.
In May 2011, this same "far-right" group again drew controversy in the Sydney Morning Herald after the Vice President and Secretary noticed the addition of over 60 international students to the club membership list just hours before a scheduled Ordinary Meeting. The Ordinary Meeting was subsequently disbanded by security, and a scheduled Annual General Meeting was postponed until September by the University of Sydney Union
University of Sydney Union
The University of Sydney Union is the student-run services and amenities provider at the University of Sydney. The Union's key services include the provision of food and beverages, live music and other entertainment, the Verge Arts Festival and other cultural activities, Orientation week and...
(USU). The stacking was instigated by then club President Adrian Pryke after his defection to the hard-right.
The club has also been a major contributor to the "Make Education Fair" campaign, headed by the Young Liberals
Young Liberals (Australia)
The Young Liberal Movement is the youth division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and membership is open to those between 16 and 30 years of age. Members of Young Liberals have full party-membership, and have the choice of which part they join...
. This campaign was created with the stated purpose of exposing and reducing political bias throughout all levels of education . A Senate enquiry conducted to examine this potential bias, saw many club members provide evidence.
Notable Alumni
- John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
AC, Prime Minister of Australia 1996-2007 - Tony AbbottTony AbbottAnthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
MP, Leader of the Opposition - Malcolm TurnbullMalcolm TurnbullMalcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
MP, Leader of the Opposition 2008-2009 - Joe HockeyJoe HockeyJoseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of North Sydney for the Liberal Party of Australia since 1996....
MP, Shadow Treasurer - Paul FletcherPaul FletcherPaul Fletcher is the name of:* Paul Fletcher * Paul Fletcher , Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives* Paul Fletcher...
MP, Member for Bradfield - Alex HawkeAlex HawkeAlexander George "Alex" Hawke MP , an Australian politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing Mitchell, in north-western metropolitan Sydney, for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2007...
MP, Member for Mitchell - Mitch FifieldMitch FifieldMitchell Peter "Mitch" Fifield , Australian politician, is member of the Australian Senate since March 2004, representing the state of Victoria for the Liberal Party.-Early years:...
MP, Australian Senator - Dominic PerrottetDominic PerrottetDominic Francis Perrottet MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Castle Hill for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2011.-Early life and background:...
MP, Member for Castle Hill - Don HarwinDon HarwinDonald Thomas Harwin MLC , an Australian politician, is the President of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2011. He is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council representing the Liberal Party of Australia since 27 March 1999.-Early years and background:Harwin was born to...
MLC, President of the NSW Legislative Council - Peter PhelpsPeter PhelpsPeter Phelps is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role of Peter Church in the television drama, Stingers and Trevor Cole, in Baywatch...
MLC, Government Whip in the NSW Legislative Council - Natasha Maclaren-JonesNatasha Maclaren-JonesNatasha Maclaren-Jones is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since March 2011. Before Parliament, Natasha was a senior advisor to Helen Coonan and Bronwyn Bishop and was the State Liberal Party President that...
MLC, Member of NSW Legislative Council - Marie FicarraMarie FicarraMarie Ann Ficarra MLC is an Australian politician who has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 24 March 2007. She was previously a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Electoral District of Georges River, but was defeated...
MLC, Member of NSW Legislative Council - Simon Fontana, President of the NSW Young Liberals
- Scott Farlow, President of the NSW Young Liberals 2009-11