MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY
LIBERAL CLUB
The Melbourne University Liberal Club (MULC) was founded in 1925. For 100 years it has fostered some of the foremost Liberal students in Australia, with strong representation in Australian public life.
MULC's influence has not been solely limited to activities on campus or in Parliament, with involvement of past Club Members in events of national significance including the founding of the Liberal Party of Australia.
The Club is proud of its independence from the Liberal Party and the free debate which this engenders. We place immense value on our core beliefs:
– We believe in the free market, and that free enterprise is the best creator of wealth, employment and opportunity;
– We believe that government should be small, and its scope for interference in our lives should be limited;
– We believe that the role of government is to protect the liberty of citizens to act as they wish as long as they do not infringe on the liberties of others;
– Above all, we believe in an open society of free and responsible individuals.
The year 1925 marked the seventieth anniversary of the University of Melbourne opening its doors to students and it was to prove to be a year of particular significance in the history of the institution. On April 3rd the first issue of Farrago appeared and, later in that same year, the first political clubs were allowed to start. For several years previously, there had been a club called the Public Questions Society, the purpose of which was to look at political matters in an objective manner, but by June 1925 'a group of Labour sympathisers' was keen to set up a Labour Club, and Farrago editorialised that 'the idea is worth a trial, and Farrago wishes it all success.' However, before apolitical club could be set up, the permission of the University authorities had to be obtained.
In mid-July the Professorial Board gave its assent and its recommendations went to University Council on August 3rd.It was generally accepted that political clubs should be allowed. One Council member, Dr J.P. Wilson stated that, in his opinion, it was better for students to pursue an interest in politics rather than in jazz or in sport, but while accepting this, Sir John Monash did object to the Labour Club's proposal to affiliate with the Australian Labor Party.Council member Latham moved 'That this Council regards it as undesirable that a University Club should be affiliated with any outside political organisation.''
The motion was carried by 11 votes to 7 and, despite not being able to have a direct link with the A.L.P., the LabourClub was quickly into stride, having Frank Anstey as the speaker at their first evening meeting, and attracting thirty students to their first discussion meeting.
However, by the time of the Council Meeting, it was not just the Labour Club for which approval was being given.What were later described as 'sympathisers with the Nationalist programme ' others had decided to form a Liberal Club.
And so at 1:25 pm on Friday, September 18th, 1925 the new Philosophy Lecture Theatre was the venue of the first official meeting of the Melbourne University Liberal Club. The Office-bearers elected were:
President Mr Ian Maxwell, MA LLB
Vice-President Mr T. Smith, BA LLB
Secretary Mr R. Nichterlein
Treasurer Mr T. a'Beckett
Committee Messrs. Gowans, Garran and Kent-Hughes.
The following Monday the Club had Federal Attorney-General (and University Council member) Latham speaking on the key issue of the time 'Deportation'. The Bruce-Page Government was trying to use theImmigration Acts to throw the Seamans' Union leaders Walsh and Johnson out of the country and this issue, with the more general one of union power, were the keys in the forthcoming Federal election. Thus, it was also the natural topic for the first Liberal Club versus Labour Club debate. Bloomfield opened the batting for the Liberals and was followed by Nichterlein, Rankin, Warren and King. This team was voted winners of the debate by the audience, but Farrago, in what may be an early example of left-wing bias, expressed views that 'in style and matter alike Liberal supporters were extremely weak.'
Latham does not have the honour of being the first guest speaker for the Liberal Club as, in August, W.S. Kent-Hughes had been invited. Kent-Hughes, his enthusiasm probably increased by having a son on the Club Committee, became a regular Melbourne University performer in the first Liberal Club incarnation, but even thirty-five years later was still speaking at Club meetings. Another speaker in the first year was Keith Officer, a former administrator of Nigeria, who drew two hundred students to the Public Lecture Theatre.
Meanwhile the Labour Club was getting attendance which exceeded 'the palmiest days of the P.Q.S.' but this dramatic increase in political activity did not flow through to that year's S.R.C. elections where the turnout was disappointingly low. However, despite the rise and fall of many clubs over the ensuing years the campus was never again to have no political clubs, and, in future, there was always to be a student newspaper to report on their activities.
In the final issue of Farrago for 1925, Brian Fitzpatrick reviewed the year from the Labour Club viewpoint and had this to say about the Liberal Club ...
'...(The Labour Club) take a melancholy pride in the reflection that they also founded the University Liberal Club, expecting that the twin would die soon after birth, and only desiring it to last until the University Council had given the Labour Club permission to commence active work. The Liberal Club, largely owing to the enthusiasm of Mr A'Beckett, and in spite of the National Federation, is now our doughty opponent, and has apparently come to stay.'
Within a year, Fitzpatrick, now the Farrago editor, was not being nearly so complimentary about his political opponents. He asserted that they had only nine members. Liberal Club office-bearers denied this in subsequent letters, arguing that there were 30-40 members, and over twenty male students had attended the recent A.G.M. (No female members could attend because of a women's Meeting on the same day).
Even if Fitzpatrick was not correct at the time, he was soon proved to be right as the Club only managed to struggle on for another two years until on 9 October 1928, Farrago announced its death. Throughout the 1930's there were a succession of Conservative Clubs, an Australian Party Club, a Young Nationalists Club and even a Royalist Club for a brief period in 1936.
Finally, in 1943, a new Conservative Club was formed, with the first meeting held on Thursday 22 July. The name 'Conservative' was chosen, at least in part, because there was money left over from a previous club of the same name.
There were problems with a chaotic meeting on 26 August and a change of President, but gradually the Club grew in strength during the following year under the Presidency of Allan Missen. In May 1944, the Conservative Club had its first social event, a dance at 'The Palms' and also began their newsletter, Challenge.
The really significant event in the new Club's history came at the conference held at Mt Evelyn on 18 June 1945, where the momentous decision to change the name of the organisation to Liberal Club was take. That same year saw a doubling of club membership, the first regular holding of conferences, the production of nine issues of Challenge (increasing from four to eight pages in July) and a range of socials, hikes, skating and Theatre nights, a touch-down luncheon and tennis tournaments.
In the years following the Second World War, Melbourne University saw a period of student political activity unequaled until the 1960s. As well as the Labour Club and a C.P.A. branch, 1949 saw the formation of an A.L.P. Club, which had as its members such later luminaries as Jim Cairns, Clyde Holding and John Button. However, the Liberal Club also remained strong through the later 1 940s, as is evidenced by the fact that Club members such as Ivor Greenwood and Allan Jarman were elected S.R.C. President.
During each Orientation Week, there was an M.U.L.C. Revue in the Union Theatre, where, in 1948, between stunts, Alan Missen and Alan Hunt spoke amidst constant interjections from the back.
The big controversy of that year came when F.L. Edmonds, M.L.A. made a speech at a Liberal Club meeting attacking left-wing academics, including Manning Clarke. The issue dominated Farrago, with Club President Greenwood leading the Liberal attack on those who had attempted to shout down Edmonds.
In April 1948, an evening meeting had some sixty members present, the week-long conferences were a success, and, on Friday, July 23rd, the first Annual Liberal Club Ball was held in the Union Buffet. For 4/6 you could dance to Tony Newstead's Band from 8:30 pm to 1 am and the proceeds of the occasion went to support Miss Janet Buck, the Liberal Club contestant in the Miss University Competition.
The year 1948 also saw the formation of the Australian Universities Liberal Federation, with the first Council Meeting being held in Melbourne in August. R.G. Casey and Peter Durack (then President of N.U.A.U.S.) spoke and it was decided to support N.U.A.U.S., whilst urging its disaffiliation from N.U.S. The first President was Barry Newman, a Western Australian whom that year had moved to Melbourne University, while another M.U.L.C. person, Margaret Powell, became Secretary.
By the early 1950s the Liberal Club was attracting less publicity in Farrago, Challenge had ceased publication in 1952, but there was still the O'Week Revue, cocktail parties, the holiday conferences, and a strong showing in elections. Some of the leading members of the Club had come out against Menzies' attempt to dissolve the Communist Party and in 1953 it was the first body to allow the rebel Holloway group of the Liberal Party to put its case.
The Liberal Club had a bad period during the latter part of the 1950s, so much so that the mere fact of a Club meeting taking place was sufficient to prompt Farrago to comment that '... Liberals rear their ugly heads.' Ironically there was a Liberal S.R.C. President (Roger Cook) at the time and it was probably because of this fact that he was made Club President even though he was not at the meeting. The Club had forty new members, but it was not until July of the following year that the Club could get another guest speaker, John Rossiter, and the next week, Sir Wilfred Kent-Hughes returned. Lindsay Thompson attracted 34 people to a talk in April 1961 but the Club continued to struggle.
As a result of this, it was decided that a new Liberal Club needed to be formed and in March 1962, twenty-five people met to do so. The President was John King, who was succeeded in the following year by David Kemp. The new Club publication was Risorgimento (the name given to the 19th Century Italian unification movement) and published articles by Club members and others on political and other issues. It was succeeded in 1965 by a similar publication entitled Free Society. That same year saw the number of guest speakers increase and the publicising of them made easier by the first appearance of the 'Activities Sheet.' As early as 1962 Peter Coleman had noted in The Bulletin that there was increased interest in student politics, and the Liberal Club reflected this as it filled lecture theatres for guest speakers and acquired a membership of over 200.
Little interest was taken in the affairs of either the S.R.C. or N.U.A.U.S. but the Liberals did control the Union Council (now the Activities Committee) for a brief period, which saw Ian Renard as its chair. While the Liberal Club was divided over the question of conscription, general opinion on campus was in favour of the Vietnam War in 1965 and1966. The mood changed dramatically in a few months in 1967. A wave of anti-war feeling swept the University and the previous good relations with the left disappeared as a new generation of Liberal-haters arrived on campus.
In the same year, 1967, the first Alfred Deakin Memorial Lecture was held, and it was certainly a lively opening. The inaugural lecture was given by the Prime Minister, Harold Holt, and, with the war raging, he was the target of many projectiles and much abuse from the overflow audience. At about the same time an organisation called the Deakin Group was formed, and for quite a few years it produced a publication called Checkpoint, which contained articles on matters of current interest and the role of liberalism.
In April 1969, Farrago had this to say about the Liberal Club:
' ...It appears that the Liberal Club isn't a spent force on campus after all. Recently the Committee has taken time from the organisation of social turns to indulge in some of the 'underhand' activities for which they used to be lacerating the A.L.P.'
Prior to the town meeting that considered the SDS's student strike proposal, the Committee of the Liberal Club phoned all 150 members ...
The sort of social function referred to was advertised thus: Party All Welcome Wines (Rose, Burgundy, Claret, etc) provided. Supper provided. Cool Band will be in attendance plus taped records for a swinging turn. Charge $1. Bring rug and cushion.
On the same weekend, M.U. Revolutionary Left Party instructed people to come to their Cardigan St party with the words 'Discard Bourgeois Ethics - Expropriate Y.O.G.' In these dramatic student political days of 1969, while such noted 1990s intellectuals as Robert Manne and Gerard Henderson were sharpening their claws in the letters page of Farrago and arguing in the cafe, the Liberal Club was organising a disco at Bertie's in Spring Street and members were eligible for a special reduction, only being charged $1 to attend the 'largest disco in the Southern Hemisphere.' The Annual Dinner was held in August with Dick Hamer as the guest speaker and the A.G.M. was held later the month in the English Theatre (Theatre C). Most of the Club's larger meetings took place in the English Theatre (Theatre B) although these were a bit irregular. Andrew Peacock was a speaker but politicians were rare visitors. Forums on issues like air pollution, consumer protection and mental stress were more popular, and there were also policy standing committees which met on an ad hoc basis. The ever changing names of club publications led to Ad Lib being published from 1967 to 1971.
The Liberal Club had a small membership in the early 1970s but was still active enough in 1973 to exceed its $100 routine grant from C & S by $33.74. Things picked up a bit in 1975 with the growing disillusionment with the Whitlam Government, but in terms of the future the year was notable as the one which ushered in the modern era of student politics.
By 1974 the Australian Union of Students (A.U.S.) had become the vanguard of the Radical Left and had as one of its main policies the destruction of the state of Israel. This motivated Jewish Students to launch the first Middle-East cross-campus debates and at Melbourne University they triumphed by about 2000 votes to 50 in a dramatic Wilson Hall debate. It was the first great blow to the left and was delivered in the frenetic atmosphere of the May Day Rathdowne St Massacre and the bashing of Michael Danby. Danby, a right-wing A.L.Per was elected S.R.C. President1976.
This resurgence of non-Left activity seems finally to have interested the Liberal Club in student politics, for the final club newsletter in 1976 reported:
' ... the Club had quite a successful year despite the fact that it was a somewhat different year compared with others.This year, activity was concentrated on general University matters, rather than internal Club activities as previously. The Club fielded candidates for various positions in University elections in order to keep the liberal voice and ideals alive in the University'.
Significantly, the same newsletter contained just about the first strongly-worded support of laissez-faire liberalism that the Club had published. The author - Robert Clark. In 1976 the President of the Club was Peter Willis, who subsequently became a member of the A.L.P., and the 1977 A.G.M. saw a clear ideological battle between Simon Frazer (left-liberal) and Clark for the Presidency. Frazer won; however, Clark was about to embark on a project which would have vital ramifications for the future. As S.R.C. Treasurer, he felt that compulsorily-collected student fees should not be spent on dubious pet schemes of the left, so he took the S.R.C. and the University to court, winning on two of his four grounds.
M.U.L.C. was not alone in seeing a shift away from ameliorative liberalism in the late 1970's, for the A.L.S.F.(Australian Liberal Students Federation) Council in 1977 also saw the 'Right' take control. Previous campaigns for increased T.E.A.S. (now Austudy) were replaced with campaigns against A.U.S. and in favour of voluntary student unionism.
A.U.S. was racked by secessions in 1979. Melbourne University was one of those to leave, only to return when reforms were promised. A.U.S. gradually passed out of the hands of the Maoists and Radicals, first to the Communists and then to the Labor left faction, whose main operating base was Melbourne University. Finally, in early 1984, there were further secessions and while A.U.S. won a referendum at Melbourne University, it was a pyrrhic victory as within months, the organisation was wound up.
As well as fighting referendum campaigns, M.U.L.C. members also vigorously contested S.R.C. and other elections, with the electoral highlight being Jane Hill winning the position of Education and Welfare Officer in 1982. However, the A.LP. Club remained the dominant political club on campus for almost a decade. In 1981, a Socialist Club had a brief flurry of activity, but it was not until the rise of the Labor Club in 1985 that the A.L.P. Club hegemony on the Melbourne Campus was finally broken.
The 1985 SRC election saw the Liberal Club with its best chance of gaining control of the SRC as it joined with other non-socialist students to present a coalition ticket for the officer positions. In 1986 the SRC elections were particularly controversial for the Club. A faction containing many people who had previously run against the Club in elections and who had refused to support the 1985 campaign, won Club support for a very expensive and pragmatic (eg. the Club abandoned its previous support for tertiary tuition fees) campaign.It was an interesting experiment but ultimately it proved to be less electorally successful than the previous year's more principled campaign.
Throughout the past decade the Liberal Club has been the dominant non-Left group. Its membership from the late seventies through into the early eighties hovered in the 60-80 range, but by the mid 1980's it was up around the 150mark. (Steadily rising membership had one sudden leap in 1983 when the combination of O'Week being immediately prior to the federal election and a keenly contested AGM produced a membership of 200.) Other Liberal Club highlights in recent years have been the 1984 Deakin Lecture, which saw over 600 people in Wilson Hall to hear Prof. Michael Howard from Oxford and the publication of the high quality Liberal Enquirer newsletter.
More importantly, the Club has been at the forefront of liberal thinking. Many of the free enterprise and libertarian ideas, which seemed very radical to some when the Club first supported them, have now become important elements of the broader political debate in Australia. The key figure in this intellectual development of the Club was Charles Richardson who was an active member from 1979 to 1986.
The history of the Melbourne University Liberal Club has been mixed but, overall, it has probably lived up to Brian Fitzpatrick's 1925 description of "a doughty opponent". The challenge for the future is to go beyond being "a doughty opponent" and become the agenda setter on this campus.
Richard Allsop, an honours graduate in history of the University of Melbourne, was Club President in 1984 and 1985, received Honorary Life Membership in 1987.
The recent history of the Club was written by a selection of ex-Club presidents.
It is handy to compare the experience of the Melbourne University Liberal Club over the last six or seven years with the wider Liberal Party. Although the Club doesn't have to depend on the Party's policies and internal battles there has been an interesting similarity between the two, recently at least.
A couple of reasons for the coincidence are also worth bearing in mind. One thing to think about is that if there is a ferment of ideas in the wider community - be it the protest era of the 1 960s or the revival of liberal, free-market ideas in the 1980s - this is likely to influence Liberal Students as much as anyone in the Liberal Party. After all, the Student arm is supposed to be the thinking end of things. Also, important characteristics of the Liberal Party organisation are mirrored at student club level, especially the lack of organised factions which tends to see internal disputes focused at the personal rather than ideological level.
In any event, the Liberal Club launched itself into 1988 with the "changing of the guard" to end several years of division between moderates and the so called Old Guard. Anthony Smith (now senior advisor to Peter Costello) was elected president at the start of that year with a mandate to take the fight to the Club's enemies in the then S.R.C.
This represented the Club's return to the student election fray, where it has stayed ever since. Involvement in elections had been the subject of debate in the club for years, and wasn't favoured by Smith's immediate predecessors.
Casting off prior doubts, hard work across the executive in early 1988 led to a successful May by-election result. Morale soared, and reached a peak with a well organised "campaign launch" annual dinner just before the September elections. Election materials were produced through great effort, with Smith and publicity officer Simon St John noted for several all-night efforts in the Farrago offices. It may be recalled that in 1988, Farrago with its 1 megabyte Macintosh II and laser printer represented the only known desktop publishing facility on campus, and at a cost of $20,000, one far beyond the reach of any student.
All came to naught however when the elections were lost. There was also criticism that the Club had been forced to virtually ignore the State election campaign also on at the time. Despite the serious disappointment, though, there was a feeling that the Club had gained a great deal in terms of experience for its members, many of whom had joined because of the enthusiasm. As a result, a consensus eventually emerged which saw elections viewed as an important means to an end (for example, experience and profile building), but subject to a cost-benefit analysis.
The next year was a troubled one for the club. The simmering dry-wet dispute exploded with the election of Sophie Panopoulos as president at a heated, and well attended, AGM in early 1989. Friction soon developed between the president and the executive, several of her supporters changed sides and after numerous arguments an extraordinary general meeting to remove Panopoulos was called. After marathon negotiations she stood down and was replaced by Chris Muir, the losing candidate in the original AGM.
The factionalism within the Club was also found in the Australian Liberal Students Federation, which barely averted a full-blown split at its July conference in Brisbane. A more radical element, which included Panopoulos, confirmed its dominance of the Federation leaving others, who included both Muir and Smith, disillusioned with the whole organisation. The split was in some ways a microcosm of the Liberal Party, with the more strident position of some delegates contrasting with the majority Victorian position which was usually quite "dry" but also very pragmatic about getting in and winning elections .Subsequent years have been somewhat quieter by comparison, perhaps because the Club has gotten onto a winning formula and has stuck with it. In every September since 1989 the Club has run a high-profile election campaign, often in coalition with other groups for office bearer positions, and has aimed to maximise its Student Council representation. The Club has also remained skeptical about ALSF while usually attending conferences.
Keir Cornish's presidency in 1990 was a time of consolidation after the turmoil of 1989, but the work put in to developing a new generation of activists proved invaluable in subsequent years. One highlight was the ALSF conference of that year, held amid blizzard-like conditions in Hobart. It proved to be a veritable voyage of self discovery for a couple of fresh-faced first years (both of whom went on to become President), and even for old hands such as the ubiquitous secretary that year, Katherine Forrest.
A touch of excitement was re-introduced to the Club with the election of Richard Salmons in 1991 at one of the most memorable annual meetings on record. After a succession of ad hominem attacks by the loser, the well attendedAGM confirmed the new tone of consensus, even though the meeting was forced to decamp to three different rooms. The visit by Jeff Kennett - who had just regained the opposition leadership after a dramatic party room coup - to address a packed PLT saw the greatest student attendance at any rally since Whitlam.
Such was the failure of that last blast of factionalism that the 1992 AGM produced the unprecedented result of Michael O'Brien being elected unopposed as president. One of the highlights of that year was the continuation of an innovation of 1991, the "Vital" student election ticket made up of the Liberal Club and various residential colleges and others. This allowed the Liberal Club to run under its own name for Student Council while maximising its vote for office bearer slots. It also meant the Club didn't have to put all its people in as office bearer candidates. The bugbear of ALSF continued, with the Canberra conference that year marred by attempts by other Victorians to split the club. It was a credit to those approached that the advances were firmly rejected and the reputation for loyalty of club members was enhanced.
The Alfred Deakin lecture continued to be a highlight of club-related activities. The 1992 address by John Hewson, although like some other Deakin lectures not necessarily a great boost to the lecturer's career, was another huge public event with students spilling out of the PLT into neighbouring theatres to watch on closed-circuit TV.
In 1993, the baton was passed to Angela Doyle, but not before the club had put in vigorous efforts in the 1992 state and 1993 Federal election campaigns. The organisational skills of the students were invaluable, especially in campaigning in "dead red" seats not well served by Liberal Party branches. The "Alumni Dinner" brought together current and past members of the club and was addressed by Victorian Treasurer Alan Stockdale, club president 1965 and many tales were told from years past.
In 1994 the club's attentions turned to one of its long standing goals - the implementation of voluntary student unionism through legislation. Although the1993 Federal election loss and subsequent passage of Commonwealth legislation tightening the campus "closed shop" were major setbacks, all Liberal students were keen to see action from the Kennett government as it moved into its second year of government. The fact that Victorian higher education minister Haddon Storey chose to continue compulsory funding of almost all student union activities, many of which directly supported his own political enemies, was a disappointment. The club forced the government to address the issue however, and at least the principle, if not the practice, of voluntary student unionism is now addressed in state legislation.
Recent years have seen a trend toward Liberal students seeking employment with members of parliament to develop their political skills. The trend looks set to continue into the future with the setting up by 1994 president Scott Ryan of a committee that encourages members of parliament to employ younger Liberal activists as researchers. Liberal students have proven especially employable given the political skills they have already gained on campus. Many of the club's senior members over the last ten years have worked for parliamentarians at some stage. The Training Program has seen many members become equipped with the skills to work in MPs offices as well as gaining a broader political education.
During 1995, the Club increased the size of its Committee to six office bearers and six general committee members.A repeat of the 1992 AGM saw all the office bearer selected unopposed with Karl Blake taking on the position of President. This produced one of the strongest and most talented Committee in the club's history. An action-packed 70th Anniversary year saw the Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett speak on campus twice, once for the Alfred Deakin Lecture and once to approximately 100 students in the Copland Theatre. The ALSF fiasco that had been brewing over previous years came to a head when the Club became the first to disaffiliate from the organisation, prompting others in Victoria, Queensland and NSW to do the same. During October, the Club celebrated its 70th Anniversary Dinner in grand style at University House. An all-star speaker list addressed the gathering and over $2,000 was raised for a Trust for the Club. The establishment of the '100 Club' will also ensure future funding for the Club, something that will become of increasing concern as it gradually achieves its aim of full VSU on campus.
In 1996, riding hot on the heels of a Federal election victory, Jonathon Mant took over the Club Presidency unopposed. The following weekend saw the Liberal Government, led by Jeff Kennett, returned to government in Victoria. Both elections saw huge participation by Club members, as they laid out, developed and distributed copious quantities of literature both on and off campus, door-knocked, and staffed polling booths in a wide variety of seats -from marginals, to dead reds to blue ribbon.
The experience gained in these elections was no doubt partly responsible for the doubling in the Liberal Club vote during the annual student elections, in spite of controversial changes to higher education. The Liberal Club ensured it had representatives on all committees, maintained its strength at a quarter of Student Council, and had an unprecedented number of votes at NUS. Indeed, of the entire national Liberal Caucus, Melbourne University delegates carried over a third of the voting strength.
Elsewhere on the national front, the Club's hard work negotiation and leadership over recent years finally bore fruit, as the Club led the successful push for Constitutional reform of ALSF, unifying previously bickering clubs in favour of much-needed amendments, and reaffiliated to a reformed organisation. With the Club Vice-President, Vanessa Hose, elected Federal Treasurer in 1996, and with the Club an acknowledged political force.
With an eye to the future, the 100 Club was launched by Alan Stockdale, and with monies from it soon to be linked to a Trust, this promises to ensure financial stability for the Club in future years. Meanwhile, the Club moved onto the internet with the establishment of its website, now with the opportunity to use the information superhighway as a new means of recruiting liberals and promoting liberalism. And after threats of court action the University, leaflets promoting the Liberal Club and Voluntary Student Unionism were distributed to all enrolling students in the University"first-year" showbag.
1997 saw the Club membership grow to its largest ever level of 340 members in the face of a bitterly contested AGM.Over 200 votes were cast with Michael Habboush being elected President with a clear majority. The AGM took its toll on the active membership of the club, with many people on the unsuccessful side losing interest. Despite this the Club still had a very good year. Myriad social and political functions were held and we remained very active on campus, producing excellent publicity and running a moderately successful union election campaign. Two highlights of the year was Vanessa Hose being elected ALSF President, the first President from MULC in more than 20 years, and Andrew Bell being elected to the NUS executive, the third MULC member to be elected to this position in four years. The club also produced an Annual Report for the first time in living memory.
1998 saw the Club rebuilding its active membership base, Scott Pearce was elected President unopposed and although our membership on paper, while still high) dropped from the previous year, our active membership grew greatly with attendance at Monday meetings remaining around 30 for the whole year. The club remained very active with regular meetings of policy subcommittees, social events and training being held every week. The club remained active in ALSF, with Scott Pearce being elected Victorian State Rep., and the side we supported proving successful at the ALSF conference in Canberra. Once again a Club member, Chris Bland, was elected to the NUS executive. As in the past, the Club sent a massive contingent to both conferences.
The Club also began to break the left's stranglehold on the Union by contributing to Student Alliance, the mosts successful moderate ticket in many years. Joseph Doyle was elected to University Council and our Labor Right allies took the Presidency from the far left. Unfortunately the Alfred Deakin lecture did not go ahead because the guest, UN weapon's inspector Richard Butler was rather busy at the time. One of the most significant developments of 1998 was the Howard's Governments December announcement of its intention to introduce Federal VSU. Many club members played a leading role in the campaign ensued.
1999 proved to be another successful year for the Club, building on the success of past years, although not such a successful year for the Party. Chris Bland was elected unopposed at the AGM in March, and the Club continued with it's usual range of activities on campus. A seventh executive position, was created, that of Policy Coordinator, formalising some of the club's policy-making processes, meaning a higher quality of debate at Monday meetings. One problem the Club did face was that with an executive and committee of fifteen members, those who were not on the committee became less active.
In July, IPP Scott Pearce was elected President of ALSF, the second from MULC in three years, giving an indication of how substantially our national position has shifted in the last decade. The Club also won the 'Club of the Year' award, a rare occasion though we always deserve it. In October, after delays, legal wranglings and a bitterly fought campaign, club President Chris Bland was elected General Secretary of the Union thought the Student Alliance ticket, created the year before. This was the first time that a Liberal has won office in the union in six years., and as part of a broad right coalition, we immediately started making reforms. Before the end of 1999 the union's Food Hall was privatised, and the union's Food Co-op, last bastion of vegan socialism, had already been asked to leave the building as well.
The Club had a tumultuous beginning to 2000 with a bitterly contested presidency at the March AGM. Bridget Penny was victorious, and with the AGM past the Club enjoyed another successful year. In a by-election of the Student Union the student Alliance coalition ticket of which the Liberal Club had played a key part finally broke down. The rift between the left and right components had been expanding ever since the problematic disaffiliation trial of the Left Focus club the previous year where legal battles had involved two Club members, Bridget Penny and Christian Gillitzer. This led to the creation of a new moderate ticket named Zest, which ran alongside the Liberal ticket in the September Student Union elections.
With the Club celebrating its Seventy- Fifth Anniversary, the annual dinner was the most successful in years with past Presidents of the Club, the Hon David Kemp MP, the Hon Alan Stockdale and Robert Clark MP as guest speakers. Use of the Internet increased with regular e-mail updates to all members; and there was the registration of the domain name www.mulc.org.au. During the year there were regular Policy/Publicity Working Groups; and Hon Peter Reith MP and Dr Denis Napthine, Leader of the Opposition joined the Club as guest speakers.
The Club headed the campaign against the S11 anti-globalisation protestors convening the newly formed Free Trade youth managing to obtain a great deal of media coverage. And the Club confirmed its position at the forefront of the Liberal Student Movement with Christian Gillitzer being elected as Treasurer of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation at the Western Australia council, and Bridget Penny being elected unopposed as the Chairman of the Victorian Liberal Students' Association.
In 2001, after a very successful O'week, the club continued to rebuild its membership. Christian Gillitzer was elected unopposed at the AGM and immediately began building for the great 'counter-protest'. The left, working on the momentum from the S11 World Economic Forum protest, decided to build another 'anti-capitalism' rally around the traditional May 1 Labour Day marches. Just like true trots, Liberals gathered at Christian's house to paint up a beautiful 'Globalise not Vandalise' banner. On May 1, as the protest descended on Parliament House, there stood, defiantly, the banner, with a large contingent of club members, holding a silent counter protest. Unfortunately, this was all too much for the protesters, who proceeded to violently tear the banner away from our peaceful group and set it alight. What they did not realise was that the TV cameras were rolling, and most of the coverage on that evenings news was based around their violence in burning our banner ... oh dear.
July saw another very successful ALSF Conference, with Christian Gillitzer elected to Vice-President of the organisation, once again, proving the calibre of MULC and its membership. September saw perhaps the most farcical Union elections in a long time, where nominations were retrospectively closed by a magistrate, when an Electoral Tribunal decision was appealed by Labor Right, and, surprise, surprise, only the Unity ticket's nominations were accepted. While the results of the Union elections where a joke, this provided the club with the opportunity to build on it's intellectual depth, with strong (and often heated) policy debate on many difficult, yet important issues, such as immigration, drugs and 'corporate responsibility. 2001 also saw one of the greatest electoral victories of a Federal Liberal Government, with club members assisting two former club members, Tony Smith and Sophie Panopoulos in their respective campaigns (both were elected), as well as contributing to both Federal and State Campaign Headquarters, and manning polling booths in many marginal seats. 2002 saw an amazing contrast in election results, with a swing against the Liberals in the State Election of incredible magnitude (up to 15 or 16% in some areas).
The club, under the leadership of Nathan Barker managed to achieve the greatest swing towards us in a union election ever (ok- so we started from O votes the year before, having had our nominations rejected, but that doesn't take away from the victory), with 6 Office Bearers elected, as well as representation on every committee and Student Council.
After another great OWeek, recruiting a large contingent of active members, Christian handed over the reigns to Nathan, who immediately set to work, ensuring that the club provided 'something for everyone', with the most successful events being the 'politics in the pub' nights, with guests Robert Doyle and Senator Rod Kemp. Guest speakers and training sessions spiced up club meetings, though strong policy debate continued. The club acquired a new banner, this time its production was outsourced and it was fabricated from a fire-retardant material.
Student elections in 2002 were a huge change from previous years. Building on the Student Alliance theme which had first started under Chris Bland in 1999, a renewed alliance was formed between Unity (Labor-Right) and theLiberals - Labor Right had learnt their lesson from 2000, that Liberals are able to ensure Left-victory through preferences, and keep Unity out of office. This time, the ticket was joined by the Melbourne University JewishStudents Society and a significant college involvement.
The elections were very tough; but in the end, the new coalition got through with a two party preferred vote of around 52%. This was a great victory for Liberals, as Liberals were able to significant influence in the Union for the first time in recent times. Liberals controlled: Education, House and Services, Women's, Environment, Welfare and Activities Officers, as well as having many Committee spots, and on the Student Union Executive. Unfortunately, though, due to a very peculiar preference flow, the Liberal media team called In Vision failed to win by 1 vote - this was after many weeks of tense recounts, some showing a win, some showing a loss, and a hard-fought legal appeal.
The year 2002 also saw MULCers increasingly taking advantage of media opportunities. One such incident occurred when posters for a trot 'burn the Australian flag' rally appeared around uni. Club members quickly got to work, faxing the poster to key contacts in the media - this ensured that when the event occurred, plenty of cameras were rolling.MULC used this opportunity beautifully, with the media showing shots of brave Liberal students defending the flag from out of control left-wing activists. Capitalising on this through the use of afternoon shock-jock, Stan Zemanak, a media storm ensued which saw flag burning Education Officer Ruth Braham reach mini-celebrity status; laws to outlaw flag burning were also canvassed in Liberal and National party rooms.
ALSF saw Nathan Barker elected as its Victorian Representative, at a hotly contested AGM that saw 9 candidates nominated for President. NUS, once again its usual farce, had its regular contingent of MULCers, though MelbourneUni's votes were thrown out for the second year in a row, leading to the most amazing scene, trots and Liberals, standing on chairs during a campus count, chanting 'zero for, zero against, f*#&@ed by NUS'.
The beginning of 2003 saw a strong recruitment, and with the Club enjoying the fruits of its Union success, with many on the Executive having Union Offices, there was a strong feeling of optimism. This culminated in a very enjoyable Annual Dinner on South Bank, featuring Australian columnist Imre Salusinzky.
The following Monday, the 2003 AGM was held, which with uncontested elections for Executive positions and seeing the election of Amy Keenan-Dunn as President of the Club. Following such a hopeful start, the new Executive was very keen to continue the success of the Club. The Annual Budget Trip, first taking place in Nathan Barker's year, continued with a large contingent of MULCers, including a number of American exchange students, travelling to Canberra for the Federal Budget.
Following the hard work of Nathan Barker in repairing relationships with other states, ALSF Federal Council 2003 held in Canberra was much better for the Club than the previous year. Nathan was elected as Vice-President of the Federation with Club Secretary, Julian Barendse elected as the Victorian Representative.
To be continued ...
