The left-wing members looking to ‘save’ the troubled union at University of Wollongong from being shut down passed a series of motions criticising the Young Liberal leaders for ‘’running the student union into the ground’’.

One of the motions called for WUSA president Brewer to retract his statement in support of the Turnbull government’s plans to hike up student fees, apologise for misrepresenting the voice of union members and/or resign immediately.

They also reaffirmed their support for WUSA’s ongoing existence as an open, democratic, independent student-run organisation on campus.

‘’WUSA reject any previous decision or recommendation made by officers or councillors that seek to de-fund, restructure or dissolve WUSA,’’ UOW student Omar Hassan said.

‘’WUSA members also oppose any decision by the Wollongong University to do the same.’’

National Union of Students NSW education vice president Chloe Rafferty said 30 WUSA members signed a petition which allowed the ‘’constitutionally called special general meeting’’ to proceed.

‘’Unfortunately the president hasn’t shown up today to chair the meeting or to acknowledge the meeting the members are participating in,’’ Rafferty said.

‘’The Young Liberals last year called on the university to have this so called independent review into student representation.

‘’They’ve recommended it be abolished and we know that for the past two years they’ve actually asked for no money from the university so they have been deliberately un-funding the union.

‘’They’ve also closed down the only profitable source of income for the union, which is the book bank. It is a deliberate strategy to destroy the organisation [WUSA].’’

The rift in student politics was exposed when Brewer showed up at an anti-budget rally, heckling speakers while publicly supporting plans to hike up student fees by as much as 7.5 per cent.

Brewer admitted to the Mercury the Young Liberal leaders put in a submission asking the university for the review.

But he didn’t attend today’s ‘’fake SGM’’ because his presence would’ve only added ‘’greater legitimacy to the farce that occurred’’.

‘’They are frauds and everyone knows it,’’ he said.

‘’I didn’t attend the meeting today because it was an illegitimate stunt.’’

Asked by the Mercury whether he planned to shut down WUSA, Brewer said: ‘’I don’t think it’s a matter of whether I or anyone wants WUSA shut down, it’s a matter of whether WUSA as it currently operates as an effectively institution for student governance at our university’’.

Rafferty said an independent student union was a necessity.

‘’We need democratic elections and the right to political free speech so we can have the broadest participation of students in those elections come September,’’ she said.

‘’We need the university to drop their review into student representation and commit to WUSA continuing to exist and commit to WUSA continuing to have funding.’’