Motion Condemning Political Violence Voted Down at Student Union

A University of Queensland (UQ) student says he was dismayed after a motion he put forward against political violence was voted down by the student union.

The UQ union, which operates independently of the university, is run by elected representatives often aligned with campus groups.

Sam Goodwin, who represents Christian students, said many had been deeply impacted by the assassination of U.S. commentator and author Charlie Kirk while he was speaking at a university in Utah.

“Everyone was quite shaken by the assassination,” he told The Epoch Times. “One of his big messages was respectful dialogue. For someone like him to be shot sends a very big message to the world.”

Goodwin estimated between 500 and 800 people attended a vigil for Kirk at UQ’s Brisbane campus.

On Sept. 17, he presented two motions to the union council:

“That UQU condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk, honours his legacy of courageously engaging in peaceful discourse with those of opposing views to promote dialogue over violence, and reaffirms its commitment to the principle that political differences must be addressed through respectful dialogue rather than violence,” the first read.

That motion was voted down by a large majority. Goodwin said he later heard some student councillors laughed after the vote.

A second motion urged the union president to issue a statement condemning the assassination and to convey support to Kirk’s family on behalf of UQ students. That motion was not voted on after several councillors left the room.

“It brought the political division to the light that’s been brewing for over two years,” Goodwin said.

He said one apolitical student had expressed shock that the first motion had been rejected and that he felt overlooked by a group meant to represent students.

“Isn’t it ironic? A motion that says we need to have respectful dialogue can’t be debated because people walked out,” he said.

Goodwin said Christian clubs under the union had held events and activities without issue. However, he described the campus as a predominantly left-leaning political environment, where posters from socialist groups often targeted right-wing figures. He said hostility usually arose when he expressed conservative views during council meetings.

The Epoch Times understands student representatives from Left Action for Gaza and Muslim Students for Palestine were among those who voted against the motion.

Several One Nation members later shared a post regarding the motion’s rejection.

“With each passing month, I am starting to be convinced that it was a miracle that I emerged from my study at both the University of the Sunshine Coast and UQ still a conservative,” former Wide Bay One Nation candidate Chad Burgess said.

Conservative Students ‘Walking on Eggshells’

Goodwin also said conservative-leaning and Christian students are facing challenging times at universities because of an overwhelming left-wing agenda.

He alleged he had been heckled and called a “[expletive] racist Nazi” at another student union meeting for expressing his opinion that the March for Australia rallies were not racist events.

Goodwin says he is a quarter Indian himself.

“I hadn’t said anything controversial at all,” he said.

“As soon as you say something that is against the political agenda, you’re labelled a Nazi.”

Goodwin said it was hard to know how many students were battling beneath the tide of leftism.

“It’s like walking on eggshells,” he said.

“It’s very woke. There’s a lot of radical leftist ideology embedded in the system. It feels quite hostile.

“I think it’s hard to gauge how many students have more conservative or Christian values because those values don’t align with the environment.”

UQ, which is separate from the union, says it “unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and is committed to fostering a safe and respectful community.”