QUT student elections and Brutal attacks against activists in Honduras and Mexico

Paradigm Shift – 7th December 2018, Lucy, Craig & Shona

QUT’s Botched Student Election: How the Young Libs Were Kicked Out

QUT’s student union has come into disrepute after it was condemned by an independent electoral tribunal. EPIC, the party which has run the QUT Guild for the last 7 years, failed to adequate publicise the election nomination period and elected itself unopposed. After a successful Democracy 4 QUT campaign, the tribunal ordered that the elections be reopened and Reach, an opposition ticket of independents and socialist alternative members won. In this radio doco, you’ll hear from Vinnie Batten, the now president of the QUT Guild and chief organiser of the democracy for QUT campaign as well as an interview conducted by Liam Blair with former president and EPIC member, Isobella Powell.

Anniversary of Brutal Attacks Against Activists
December 2nd marked 33 months of the murder of the Lenca people defender, Berta Cáceres, at her home in La Esperanza, Intibucá department (Honduras) and the attempted murder of environmental activist Gustavo Castro, member of Otros Mundos Chiapas – Friends of the Earth Mexico.

The case went to trial after many irregularities in the investigation carried out by the Public Prosecutor´s Office, which affected the access to justice by Cáceres relatives and the organization they are part of, the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), as well as the access to evidence and the results of the search warrants at DESA company, in charge of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project opposed by Berta Cáceres and her people.

Despite all setbacks and the assumptions that the crime committed on March 2nd, 2016, could be left unpunished, on November 29th, 7 out of the 8 people accused of murdering Cáceres and attempting to murder Castro, were convicted.