Tobias Langtry
Every year the UWA Student Guild hosts an Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) to which students are invited to attend and get involved with (by voting or submitting motions). This report details the OGM held 10th of October 2023.
There was just one motion presented this year, concerning the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Readers can find the Meeting agenda, 2023 Guild Annual Report, 2022 Guild Financial Statements, and 2023 President’s Report here. You can find the filmed October OGM here.
7.0 Motions on Notice
7.1 The 2023 Ordinary General Council Meeting:
7.1.1 Urges students to vote ‘Yes’ in the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament.
7.1.2 Recognises that the ‘No’ campaign is led by individuals, organisations, and politicians who have fanned the flames of racism, both implicitly and explicitly, as part of their conservative agenda.
7.1.3 Condemns the racism of the leading forces of the ‘No’ campaign.
7.1.4 Recognizes that a ‘Yes’ vote is not enough, and that to close the gap, significant increases in Commonwealth funding to welfare, education, and public housing are vital, as well as the implementation of all recommendations from the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
7.1.5 Condemns the role of the Labor government in maintaining Indigenous oppression in Australia, as seen through its operation of Banksia Hill Detention Centre in WA and its legalisation of the indefinite detention of children in police watch houses in QLD.
Moved: Alevine Magila (Left Action)
Seconded: Finn Penter (Left Action)
Finn Penter speaks in favour of the motion. “It is really important for the Student Guild to support the YES campaign and oppose the racist ‘No’ campaign.”
Alevine Magila speaks in favour of the motion. Alevine says that the ‘No’ campaign isn’t just campaigning for the ‘No’ vote, they are campaigning for racism and bigotry. Everyone should vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, but that isn’t enough: we have to actively oppose the ‘No’ campaign. We shouldn’t be complacent about this, given the global rise of the far-right. Whether the far-right wins or not depends on whether progressives actively oppose the far-right. We need to fight against racism in this country.
Nicole McEwen speaks in favour of the motion. Nicole agrees with Alevine. We have to vote in the referendum, and also fight racism in this country. We have to oppose people like Jacinta Price, Peter Dutton, and even ‘Yes’ supporters who have done racist things (such as Labor governments). We have a responsibility to go beyond voting, to protest and right racism. We have a responsibility to fight to the very end, until the lives of Indigenous people have improved. Vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, but never ever stop fighting for Indigenous people.”
Motion passes.