Socalist Alternative (SAlt) have officially launched their ticket for the 2022 ANUSA elections: Climate Action for ANUSA.

Climate Action for ANUSA is campaigning on activism surrounding climate change, women and queer students, and racism at the ANU. Objectives of this ticket include calling for the sacking of Chancellor Julie Bishop, action against course cuts and a price cap on on-campus foods. 

The ticket is putting forward two executive candidates, Nick Reich for President and Carter Chryse for Education Officer. Wren Somerville is running for Environment Officer while Yerin Park and Chris Morris are running for general represenative.

None of the candidates have previously sat on the ANUSA executive nor does SAlt have any general representatives this year. 

The ANUSA Student Representatives Council (SRC) consistently passes motions that SAlt puts forward. And many of SAlt’s members do have a long activist history; they almost always speak at student protests, if not playing some organising role. A shortage of experience within ANUSA may be compensated by this activism experience. 

Whether the student body supports this style of activism, is another question entirely.

Unsurprisingly, Climate Action for ANUSA is running on an intense environmental platform. Their centrepiece is that “ANUSA must play a role in fighting for real and immediate action on climate by organising and strengthening protests.” More specifically, they want the ANU to divest entirely from fossil fuels, and the sacking of Julie Bishop as ANU’s Chancellor. 

The ticket also focuses on the rights of Women and Queer people in the ACT. A number of SAlt members organised the recent Equal Love Canberra protests for reproductive rights, and the ticket is using this to argue that it can deliver changes in the access to abortion in the ACT. They are also targeting Calvary Hospital, a publicly funded religious hospital that refuses to perform abortions. 

Climate Action for ANUSA’s third policy is anti-racism activism. This focuses less on on-campus discrimination and more on political instances of racism. The ticket is campaigning to change the name of the Menzies Library, to stand in solidarity with Palestine, and to end mandatory offshore detention. 

A number of tickets this year are running with policies on food accessibility and security. SAlt is not an exception, and is calling for “A price cap on food in Kambri, no more than $12 for a meal.” How exactly they plan to achieve this is less clear. Prices are not controlled through the ANU, which also doesn’t control overhead costs for businesses in Kambri. Adding to this, the ticket wants free, fully-funded tertiary education, an increase in Youth Allowance, and free parking for students and staff on campus.

Woroni’s policy analysis will be released in the coming days, stay tuned for more.