Student Unity

Student Unity is a factional grouping within the Australian National Union of Students. It is aligned towards the dominant Right faction of the Australian Labor Party. As such, it is the NUS faction most closely aligned with the current policy direction of the ALP leadership. Among the Labor student factions it is distinguished by its support for HECS.

The faction came about in its current form in 1992, when members of the Labor Right within the NOLS and Independent factions refused to support the election of Natasha Stott Despoja as NUS President, and subsequently formed their own caucus.

Since then, the faction has become the biggest single faction in NUS, with a presence in all states. This is despite a series of disputed election results at the Universities of Melbourne and New South Wales.

Traditionally, Unity cuts a "sweetheart deal" every year with NOLS which delivers it the position of NUS National General Secretary (a position combining Deputy President, Secretary, and Treasurer). The current incumbent is Daniel Mookhey.

Unity usually represents itself by means of a yin-yang logo, encapsulating its position at the centre of the NUS political spectrum. The organisation views itself as being both pragmatic and principled, while opponents claim it to be a sordid cabal of corrupt machinists.