On 7th December at the National Union of Students’ (NUS) National Conference (NatCon), the Labor Right faction, Student Unity, split, with Victorian Unity breaking away from the national caucus.
On 7 December 2025, at the National Union of Students’ (NUS) National Conference (NatCon), the Labor Right faction, Student Unity, split, with Victorian Unity breaking away from the national caucus.
A formal notice was released to student media on 8th December, the first day of NatCon, detailing the reasons for the Victorian split. The main reason given was that the NSW subsection of Unity was allegedly violating the rules of the caucus over the last 14 months.
Firstly, the notice claims that members of NSW Unity leadership have regularly used proxies outside Student Unity in their internal preselections. This includes proxies in the National Labor Students (NLS).
Victorian Unity allege that NSW Unity have also been flouting the structure of the national conventions, whereby they have allegedly “interfer[ed] and [sought] to influence the internal matters and preselections of state branches, approach[ed] delegates from other states who have been formally removed from Student Unity, and attempt[ed] to use those individuals to interfere with and weaken the authority of duly constituted state branches.”
The notice adds that NSW Unity has “refused to affiliate bona fide member organisations (including MONSU Caulfield); excluded delegates from Student Unity activities and decision-making forums; entered agreements without due consultation; and withheld grants for attendance at NUS conferences”.
This has purportedly been done to “entrench control of Student Unity in the hands of a narrow minority”.
The Victorian caucus has resolved to move a vote of no confidence in the current National Convenor, Aidan O’Rourke. They have also resolved to meet in the evening on 8th December to have a meeting to elect a new National Convenor.
This loss of confidence extends to every agreement and commitment that O’Rourke has enacted in his term as 2025 NUS General Secretary. These will not be recognised as valid or binding until they are ratified by a new National Convenor.
The caucus have also resolved to purge all NSW members from the national caucus.
When asked for comment, Victorian Unity members refused to speak about the split. O’Rourke also declined to comment.