Welcome back to Glass’ ongoing coverage of the QUT Guild’s Student Representative Council (SRC) meetings for 2025. This report covers the July meeting, held on Thursday, 24 June at D106, Gardens Point Campus.
As part of our commitment to transparent and student-focused reporting, Glass will continue to cover every SRC meeting throughout the year. These updates aim to give students real-time insight into the decisions, debates, and motions that shape their university experience.
All currently enrolled students are welcome to attend these meetings. If you’re passionate about improving life on campus or have an idea worth fighting for, you’re encouraged to bring a motion forward to the Council.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive breakdown of the July meeting, including the motions passed, the voices heard, and the decisions made on behalf of the student body.
COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
You can find the meeting minutes here.
You can also access the meeting agenda and documents associated with motions raised at the meeting in this folder.
AND WE’RE OFF!
The July 2025 meeting of the QUT SRC commenced at 6:10 pm.
Chair Jaime Moretti opened the meeting with an Acknowledgment of Country.
A roll call confirmed the attendance of the following officers:
President Emme Muggleton, Secretary Sebastian Page, Engagement Officer Ojas Munjal, Education Officer Erin Milne, Environment Officer Georgie Dobbs, Postgraduate Officer Maskeen Kaur, International Officer Manya Sharma, Women’s Officer Samara Kyrtsanas, Queer Officer Lauren (Ren) Johnstone, Disability Officer Ethan Johnstone, Business & Law Faculty Councillors Caleb McGriffin and Yuanyi Tham, Science Faculty Councillor Aditya Vyas, CIESJ Faculty Councillor Elowyn Gampe.
Attending online were:
Welfare Officer Steven H Wu and Clubs & Societies Officer Nicholas Vile.
Apologies were recorded from:
Treasurer Gaurang Aggarwal, Engineering Councillor Michael Pendergast, CIESJ Councillor Isabella Foley.
First Nations Officer Mitchell Swift was absent without apology.
Engineering Faculty Councillor Jordan McAlister and Health Faculty Councillor Kavya Chara were officially censured after missing two consecutive SRC meetings without apology.
UPDATES ON CASUAL VACANCIES
Felix Park Weir ran unopposed for Health Faculty Councillor position and was voted in unanimously. Felix Park Weir was successfully elected.
NO MOTIONS WITH NOTICE.
NEXT UP, MOTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
QUT Guild Demands Reproductive Healthcare Access at Public Hospitals
The first motion of the night condemned the refusal of abortion and contraceptive services by publicly funded hospitals that cite religious doctrine as justification.
An article published on July 23 revealed that Brisbane’s Mater Hospital refused to provide abortion services to a couple experiencing non-viable pregnancy, despite receiving over $1 billion in public funding over the past five years. The report has prompted widespread public criticism.
Moved by Ren Johnstone, the motion was embedded in the belief that if a hospital receives public money, it must deliver public services.
“There must be no exceptions or religious loopholes. This wasn’t an isolated incident.
“Mater’s policies, guided by religious and political agendas, have caused significant harm, particularly to young and low-income people who already face systemic barriers to healthcare access,” says Johnstone.
Seconding the motion, Samara Kyrtsanas highlighted the broader consequences of denying care on religious grounds.
“A maternity service was rejected based on belief, not medicine.
“This is not just a women’s rights issue — it’s a healthcare issue. These policies endanger people and disregard the well-being of children, families, and individuals.”
Student support for the motion was widespread. Georgie Dobbs pointed to a recent case in Queensland where a 12-year-old was forced to seek the Supreme Court’s approval to access abortion care, an incident that underscored how inaccessible, expensive, and exhausting the system has become.
Erin Milne offered a national comparison, citing Canberra’s success in taking over a Catholic hospital and restoring abortion access after years of restrictions.
“South Brisbane’s main hospital is doing the same thing, denying care based on charity and religion. Labor claims to have expanded abortion rights, but the reality tells a different story,” says Milne.
“One in five people in Queensland are born in maternity wards that don’t even offer basic reproductive services.”
The motion closes by calling on the Queensland Government to mandate all publicly funded hospitals to provide abortion and contraceptive services.
The motion passed unanimously.
Queer Collective Secures Council Approval for New Terms of Reference
The Queer Collective brought forward a motion to formally ratify the newly revised Terms of Reference (ToR) for the QUT Guild Queer Collective, a comprehensive document intended to overhaul how the Collective operates, supports its members, and enforces accountability.
The updated ToR introduces several key changes, including the addition of a Welfare Officer to the Executive team; a role specifically created to prioritise the mental health, safety, and wellbeing of Collective members. It also introduces a transparent and restorative disciplinary process, replacing what students described as an outdated and inadequate system that previously offered no structured way to handle misconduct or protect members.
“We should have a Welfare Officer, and we must change how we approach discipline to reflect the kind of Collective we want to be; protective, transparent, and community-led,” says Lewis.
The motion was seconded by Secretary of the Collective Isaac Oliver, who mentioned that the revised ToR fills critical structural gaps in how the Guild supports queer students.
“This document gives us the tools to support our community in ways the Guild currently doesn’t,” Oliver said.
“It’s a complete rewrite,” says Johnstone, who emphasised that the current document doesn’t allow the Collective to discipline members at all.
“This version finally reflects how the Collective actually functions and what it needs to keep members safe.”
Ethan Johnstone added that the Council’s role in this process was largely procedural, as with similar documents, ratification by SRC is a formality, ensuring collective governance remains student approved.
The motion passed unanimously, with the new ToR taking effect immediately.
Guild Backs Carumba Institute, Condemns QUT’s Restrictions on Free Speech
Student Connor Knight moved the last motion for the night, calling on the QUT Guild to oppose the university’s handling of the Middleton Review, a report widely criticised for endorsing censorship on campus under the guise of safety and inclusivity.
The motion centres on QUT’s response to backlash over a Carumba Institute symposium held earlier this year, during which Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia Sarah Schwartz, presented a slide critiquing far-right antisemitic tropes. Despite Schwartz being cleared of any antisemitism by the university’s own review, QUT accepted a list of recommendations from the Middleton Review that include vetting all external speakers on university grounds and expanding executive control over the Carumba Institute.
“This is about silencing anti-racist, anti-genocide activists under the language of ‘safety’.
“But censoring people for opposing a genocide doesn’t make anyone safer; it does the opposite,” says Knight.
Knight argues that freedom of expression on campus is under threat, especially for those speaking on the issue of Palestine, citing broader national concerns highlighted in the People’s Inquiry into Campus Free Speech, a project backed by students, academics, and civil society groups like the Greens and the Jewish Council of Australia.
Seconding the motion, Erin Milne shared their own experience of restrictions in class discussions.
“I was told I couldn’t talk about Palestine in a university history unit, only in private after class.
“QUT has already set a dangerous precedent about what students are allowed to say, and these recommendations will only worsen that.”
Milne also raised concerns about the university’s partnerships with defence and weapons companies, asking who would hold QUT accountable if even discussions around war and genocide were subject to pre-approval.
Yuanyi Tham repeated those concerns, calling the report’s implications “disgusting.”
“There’s no basis for what’s happening. What was said wasn’t offensive. This is about controlling who gets to speak on campus.”
“Opposing racism isn’t controversial and it shouldn’t require approval.”
Knight closed by urging the Guild to reject false binaries between left and right, and to defend students’ rights to speak out even when especially when it makes others uncomfortable.
The motion passed unanimously, with the Guild formally standing in support of the Carumba Institute and the defence of campus free speech.
The July SRC meeting wrapped up at 6:55pm. The next meeting of Council is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, at KG B301. All current QUT students are welcome to attend.
