Women at university are worse off under a Liberal government. Health The Liberal Government has scrapped bulk-billing incentives for pathology services and diagnostic imaging. This means that women may have to pay up-front $30 for a Pap smear, blood or urine test, and from January 2017 as much as $173 for x-ray or ultrasound imaging. Women regularly rely upon these tests for the prevention or early detection of pregnancy, obstetric complications, cancers, STIs and UTIs The Liberal Government freeze on indexation of the rebate for GP consultations under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) until 2020 has already seen hundreds of practitioners around the country cease to offer bulk billing as they are forced to transfer increased costs onto patients. Most women students can not afford these increased costs of healthcare, and are forced to forgo necessary doctors visits, diagnostic testing and treatment. This poses critical risks for women’s health. Without early diagnosis and treatment, risk of poorer prognosis is high and the burden of disease, personal and financial costs on patients are increased. Education- cuts to funding The 2016-2017 budget revealed that Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals want to decrease funding to tertiary institutions by 20% as well as lower the tax repayment threshold by 10%. It was also strongly indicated that the Liberals will bring back fee deregulation. Universities are unlikely to put their hands in their own pockets to make up for funding cuts, choosing rather to cut vital student support services than risk jeopardising ‘important’ business projects Cuts to higher education will mean that women who are already disproportionately affected but a lack of funding will take longer to pay off their HECS debt and face a greater pay gap in the workforce. Cuts to services Severe lack of funding available for women’s services on university campuses. When the federal government make cuts to the higher education sector, often basic services relied on by women are the first to go. Universities across Australia do not prioritise the welfare of students, this consequently has a greater effect on women due to structural barriers which make it difficult women to go to university and study. As revealed in the results of the 2016 ‘Talk about it’ survey women students are likely to face harassment and sexual violence on university campuses. Due to a number of factors, including inadequate help services, women are strongly deterred from seeking help from university. Women should be able to balance university life as well as home life, and should not be forced to choose between the two. Services focused on assisting students who are also mothers have been neglected for too long. Many universities are lacking parent rooms, for mothers to comfortably breastfeed. Underfunded services have a detrimental effect on those who use them most, women are already limited by a culture of misogyny on campus and an initial lack of policies and services to protect them. Due to the lack of services and policies, many universities do not adequately address incidents of harassment on campus, making university an unsafe place for women. Universities receive funding from the student services and amenities fee annually, a small portion of which is usually allocated to the student union on campus. The rest of the SSAF is allocated to funding university projects, a funding increase to women's services could be done through this avenue. When the Liberal government make cuts to higher education universities will make cuts to student services. The Solution In order to address the stark difficulties of women accessing higher education the NUS women's department is running an O week and semester one campaign which will encourage women to support, promote and attend the National Day of Action on March 22nd. This NUS women’s department campaign will aim to put pressure on universities to start addressing the specific concerns of women, through more funding to services that women access. The campaign will produce a petition and towards the end of the semester the NUS Women’s Department will be submitting a government submission. The campaign will Lobby federal parliamentary representatives for accessible health care and education for women in the lead up to the federal budget. Lobby universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Encourage and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action Focus on supporting women in higher education in the face of an aggressive conservative federal government. Highlight the challenges that women face in higher education specifically around education and health. Produce a petition pushing universities to commit more funding to student services Produce a government submission detailing the need to adequately fund the higher education sector, and how funding cuts hurt women the most, particularly women from marginalised backgrounds. Get Involved Promote and sign the NUS Womens petition! Sign up to the email list to receive updates on the campaign! Attend and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing federal MPs to commit to not supporting cuts to higher education and health. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Like the NUS Women’s Department page for updates Change your cover photo, like and share posts about the campaign.

At present the University administration believes the presence of a "safe space" would suggest that university campuses are not in fact safe. This is a ridiculous assumption. We believe that all students should be free from discrimination and vilification and at present the University Executive will not support the provision of a permanent and designated room for LGBTIQA+ students. Spaces such as these are found right across the nation in universities of all sizes from Tasmania to the Northern Territory. They are imperative for the wellbeing of all LGBTIQA+ students no matter where they fit under the umbrella. The successful continuation of a safe space will ensure that Griffith stays in line with the Group of Eight and all progressive and inclusive universities across Australia.

I study at Murdoch University and the actions taken by Vice Chancellor Eeva Leinonen are shameful. The Vice Chancellor has seen fit to attack the work and pay conditions of the Murdoch University staff, this is especially raw as Murdoch senior officers are taking greater employee benefits and expecting staff to take pay cuts. This is a shameful act, and as a student of Murdoch University, I stand with the teaching and service staff. I stand with them because learning at an institution that has great employment conditions fosters a learning environment that benefits the students. As a student I also refuse to be part of an institution that so ruthlessly takes an axe to the workers terms and conditions. Not only is Murdoch's management trying to remove the conditions fought for by their staff, but they have also tried to put a gag order on the union to stop it communicating with its members. This is not a Vice chancellor that negotiates in good faith, this is someone who wants to employ snake tactics in order to gut what makes Murdoch a great university... Its staff! Murdoch claims it is the university of innovation, but there is nothing innovative about its underhanded tactics. Think Murdoch, Think Shame!

We support Teachers for Refugees! Teachers for Refugees (T4R) needs our support. T4R seeks to raise awareness about the cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers, including hundreds of school-age children, in Australian-run detention centres. To this end, members and supporters of T4R will be wearing pro-refugee t-shirts to school next week and will hold a vigil on Monday after class from 6pm at City Square. For encouraging teachers to publicly show opposition to the systematic abuse of asylum seekers in detention centres, the group has been subjected to a campaign of vilification by the Murdoch press. The Liberal government, from the Prime Minister to the Federal Immigration and Education ministers, have now turned their fire on T4R, urging Principles to discipline or even sack teachers for wearing the t-shirts. This is both an attack on freedom of political expression, and an attempt to intimidate and silence the voices of refugee supporters. Shamefully the government has long restricted the right to free speech with regard to its treatment of asylum seekers. This includes criminalising teachers of asylum seekers who speak out against cases of abuse in detention, via the Border Force Act. The Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union is in support of Teachers for Refugees, with Branch President Meredeth Peace publicly backing the t-shirt action. Strong support has also been forthcoming from refugee advocacy groups. It is crucial that we all voice our support now to give courage to teachers to take a stand and to send a message to Principles and the Federal government that their campaign of bullying and threats will be resisted. We the undersigned give complete support to Teachers for Refugees in their campaign to support asylum seekers and recognise their right to express themselves freely.

In 2015, the NUS Women’s Department ran the 'Talk About It’ survey, which found that over 72% of women at university experience some form of sexual harassment, assault or violence while studying, over 14% saying that they had experienced rape or attempted rape, and over 15% saying that they been physically hurt by another individual. In the survey, students were also asked whether they reported the incident, and the majority said that they didn’t because they did not know about it, or because they didn’t think it was worth it; and perhaps even more alarmingly, three quarters of those that did report the incident to their university or to the police, said that little or nothing was done about it. “I was ignored, told I was simply drunk and it wasn't worth investigating” (University of NSW, 20 year old) In order to address these alarming rates of violence against women at university, the National Union of Students (NUS) has been working with a number of stakeholders including the team that has rolled out screenings of the well known documentary, The Hunting Ground across Australian university campuses, as well as The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), who have worked with Universities Australia (UA) to roll out a national survey which aims to gain an understanding of the prevalence of sexual assault at universities and develop recommendations to strengthen university responses. However, while all 39 Australian universities have committed to rolling out the survey, and working to make university campuses safer; they have not committed to making concrete changes to support students who are survivors of sexual violence, or to prevent incidents from occurring. In order to improve women’s safety at university, we are calling on all universities to implement the following, and use the survey results to improve support services for survivors. -adequate lighting, 24/7 security, and safe spaces for women -stand alone zero tolerance policies on sexual harassment, assault and violence, with clear repercussions for perpetrators -accessible and clear reporting processes, with effective remedies for survivors -sexual assault counsellors on every campus -mandatory consent training for all staff and students Sign the Petition. Demand Action!

Bullying is a real issue that can seriously hurt young people. A majority of young LGBTI people report bullying and 80 per cent of those say that it happens at school. All young people should be able to feel safe and supported at school, and this program is helping to do this. Despite scare campaigns around the program, schools make decisions about their level of involvement with Safe Schools, how much of the program they use and what is appropriate for particular age groups. Schools need to have the freedom to run these kinds of programs if they believe it is necessary to help create a safe environment within the school for all students.

Across the country, students are increasingly facing struggles which impact on their ability to participate in and succeed at university including: -financial difficulties -health problems and -familial responsibilities. These struggles are even more pronounced for disadvantaged students including women students, lgbtiqa students, aboriginal and torres strait islander students, ethno-culturally diverse students, students with disabilities and students from regional and rural areas. At most universities, student organisations help to address these issue through the provision of a range of student services including student counseling, financial support, and autonomous departments which provide an independent voice for students. However, while these services are essential, they are almost entirely reliant on the funding their receive through the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF); which is often not sufficient or ongoing This is largely due to the fact that loopholes in the SSAF legislation allow universities to bypass recognising the most pressing needs of students in their SSAF distribution. While the federal SSAF legislation dictates that Universities are required to consult with student organisations about the distribution of their SSAF revenue; many Universities do so in a way that is superficial, and does not ensure the adequate resourcing of essential student services. Further more the SSAF is at risk under the current Liberal government, which has had a longstanding opposition to its existence. 
In order to ensure that all students receive the support they need at university, it is essential that the SSAF is supported, and that student representatives are given more control over student affairs.

Youth unemployment is on the rise all around the country, with one in eight youngsters in NSW currently jobless. In the Shoalhaven, like many places around Australia, industries are disappearing, leaving locals with little to no jobs. And now with the decimation of TAFE colleges in NSW the prospect of a bright future for our children is eroding before our eyes. Our world class TAFE system provides an important pathway to skills and employment but government cuts mean our ability to gain the skills needed in today’s workforce are being ripped away. Couple this with the prospect of 100k degrees and what chance do the next generation have? Education should be a right. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that it is accessible to everyone. With the looming influx of overseas workers brought on by the new ChAFTA agreement we are staring down the barrel of a youth unemployment crisis. Now is the time to act.

NTEU members at RMIT have lost confidence in Vice Chancellor, Alec Cameron and in his ability to administer his role and responsibilities in accordance with the interests of staff at RMIT through the enterprise bargaining process. Under the stewardship of Alec Cameron and Mish Eastman, DVC vocational education, RMIT management have employed aggressive and unprecedented tactics such as non-union ballots and using the provisions of the Fair Work Act in an attempt to thwart the bargaining process and silence the voice of staff, the NTEU and RMIT students.

Locked out of government support during the pandemic, such as the JobKeeper, we were told to go home if we did not have any more funds, while most of us lost our jobs. Later on, after worker shortages was realised, we were the first in line to fill the gap. Thankful for the opportunity to work unrestricted hours in the last year, we have shown that we can sustain the required “satisfactory course attendance” and “satisfactory course progress” while working more than 20 hours a week. Despite all that, we choose to stay in Australia because we believe that we make a positive contribution to the Australian society and economy. We believe in the promise of the Australian education, the very same democratic foundation that taught us the idea of a fair-go in life. We are not asking for a hand-out, but we believe that we deserve the freedom of choice on our work hours. Thus, we loudly say, SCRAP the CAP! The Support Network for International Students (SNIS) is a coalition of organisations and individuals—including current international students and allies—who work collectively to advance the rights and welfare of all international students through various methods and initiatives. Current SNIS members and supporters: Migrante Melbourne, Philippine Studies Network in Australia (PINAS), UFIS (United Filipino International Students), Migrant Workers Centre, Gabriela Australia, PISO (Pinoy International Students Organisation), Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH), Advanced League of People’s Artists (ALPA Melbourne), Filipino Community Council of Victoria Incorporated (FCCVI), Renters and Housing Union (RAHU), Anakbayan Melbourne, Malaya Melbourne, Filipino-Australian Association of Ballarat Inc, Westjustice/Western Community Legal Centre, Living Incomes for Everyone (LIFE), Centre for Migrant Workers’ Concerns (CMWC), United Workers Union (UWU), Colour Code, Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), Sydney Alliance, South Asians For Inclusiveness (SAFI), ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans), Philippine Australia Solidarity Association (PASA), Social Justice and Community Ministries of Dandenong Trinity Uniting Church, Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), Tamil Refugee Council, FEGTA (Filipino Elderly Get Together Association), Five Fifty Myth Band, Spirit of Eureka, Victorian Multicultural Commission, International League of Peoples’ Struggles Australia (ILPS), Philippine Caucus for Peace, Global Vision Migration,The Entrée.Pinay, Migrante NSW, Sydney Community Forum, SBS Filipino, Democracy in Colour, Migrante WA, Arlan Fajardo of Pinoy Ako Pinoy Tayo, Walter Villagonzalo, MP BronwynHalfpenny, Sanmati Verma, Christina Borromeo, Stef Ocampo, Carol Que, Cal Field, Steff Vasil, Wing Kuang, Orlan Tina, Cathy Weiss

On February 15, the Australian Catholic University issued the ‘Professional Services Draft Change Management Plan'which announced the loss of 110 equivalent full-time (EFT) professional staff positions - including 90 EFT positions being made redundant. We are opposed to these job cuts and believe that they are unnecessary. As well as the impacts on staff affected directly, we believe that these cuts will negatively impact the quality of teaching, research, and services. We demand that management demonstrate that all alternative savings measures have been canvassed; and explored all voluntary measures to ensure involuntary redundancy is a last resort.

Students have expressed their concerns about the lack of COVID-19 mandatory isolation and would like to see UNSW, one of the leading institutions that prioritised COVID-19 research take an equitable approach on this matter. Vast amounts of research have also demonstrated that when healthy able-bodied students contract more severe variants of COVID-19, they are likely to develop underlying disabilities, develop a risk of acquiring long COVID and experience lifelong changes to their immune, respiratory, and other biological systems.