La Trobe Student Union

During the 1960s and 1970s, La Trobe, along with Monash, was considered to have the most politically active student body of any university in Australia.[1] The Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) was a prominent organisation on campus, often with the cover of a front organisation sometimes encouraging the name 'La Trot'. The following La Trobe alumni were all good friends at the time and took part in student politics: Bill Kelty from the ACTU and AFL Commissioner, former Treasurer Tony Sheehan, Don Watson, Geoff Walsh (Bob Hawke's press secretary, High-profile union officials Brian Boyd, John Cummins and Garry Weaven, former federal treasury official and former Westpac CEO, David Morgan. Some other Labor figures and people from the left side of politics include Mary Delahunty, Phil Cleary and Michael Danby. Despite the general socialist/leftist atmosphere several conservative corporate/business figures and Liberal party members have come from La Trobe, including Victorian Liberal Party Leader Matthew Guy who, in March 2018, apologised for a homophobic letter he signed in 1994, which resurfaced ahead of the State election.[2]

The La Trobe University Students' Union is responsible for many Contact Student Services but its role has been considerably diminished as a consequence of Voluntary Student Unionism. There were previously three main student representative bodies on campus known as the La Trobe University Student Guild, The Student's Representative Council and the La Trobe Postgraduate Student's Association. The La Trobe University Student Representative Council, became the principal representative body on campus and a student advocacy group as well as student representatives for welfare, disability, women, queer, indigenous, environment, education and welfare and the Guild managed student services. In 2011 however, the Student's Representative Council, The La Trobe Postgraduate Students Association, The Students Guild and the university merged the three separate organisations into one body: The La Trobe Student Union.

From 2015, the LTSU saw a major diversity, inclusion and anti bullying campaign organised by Nathan Croft, Dean D'Angelo and Eshan Arya.[3] Eshan Arya further campaigned and successfully fought for executive representation of international and South Asian students within the LTSU and introduced new position of people of colour officer in 2015. After the elections are carried out Urwah Khan Sherwani and Yashasvi Tandon secured this position with highest voting margin among seven positions. Since 2016, LTSU ticket called 'Unite' originally founded by the trio of Nathan, Dean and Eshan has won the union elections and held the office.[4] Eshan Arya was also the first ever Indian President of the Union's International Students' Association associate body and the first Indian Post Graduate Officer to hold the position on multiple occasions.[5] Daman Mann in 2017 became the first ever Indian origin General Secretary of the LTSU.[6] In 2016, LTSU introduced a new position called 'Person of Colour'. This inaugural position was held Urwah Khan Sherwani and Yashasvi Tandon who secured this position with highest voting margin among seven positions.[7] A later resolution was passed to change the name of the position to Ethnocultural Officer.

From 2011 - 2015 the LTSU was held by the NLS run ticket Stand Up! made up with a coalition of Socialist Alternative and other independent groups. At the 2015 LTSU Election a broad anti-Stand Up! coalition of Labor Unity, Greens, International Student groups, and independent groups that had previously run with Stand Up! swept all office bearing positions in the LTSU. Labor Unity's Nathan Croft was elected president for 2016 with a large majority.

At the 2017 Annual LTSU elections NLS only nominated for two positions.

Consistently young student politicians from La Trobe have gone on to hold positions within the National Union of Students (NUS). Previous LTSU members include 2013 LTSU President Claire Keys-Liley from NLS (2014 NUS Education Officer), 2014 LTSU President Rose Steele from NLS (2015 NUS President), Dean D'Angelo from Student Unity (2015 NUS Welfare Officer), Danica Cheesley from Socialist Alternative (2015 NUS Queer Officer), 2016 LTSU President Nathan Croft from Student Unity (2017 NUS General Secretary) and 2017 LTSU President Jacob Cripps from Student Unity (2018 NUS General Secretary).

• La Trobe Student Union)