En Passant

It is only by having a vision of a better world for women and, indeed, for all of us, and fighting for it through the power of the working class, the one force capable of delivering it, can the likes of Alan Jones be sent to the sea in the chaff bag of history.

In response to a listener’s criticism of Gillard, Jones replied “Yeah, that’s it. Bring back the guillotine”. Yes, Jones called for the PM to be beheaded. The police didn’t carry out dawn raids or turn up to the studio with dogs and capsicum spray. A couple of placards about beheading that were held at the Sydney Muslim protest on 15 September did not get the same mild reception. Jones was a leading figure in the racist chorus that followed.

Students who ran with Left Action recognised that the Guild is not about offering a student perspective to the university management. The Guild needs to be oriented to defending students’ rights and giving students an avenue to be involved. This message clearly appealed to a significant layer of students. The recent elections are a victory for the left and have laid the basis for a serious campaign against the cuts at Curtin University in 2013.