The state leadership of the National Tertiary Education Union in UNSW is doubly divided. While incoming national president Alison Barnes (Macquarie U) backs WA state secretary Gabe Gooding for the assistant national sec position NSW state secretary Michael Thomson is backing a run by UTS official Vince Caughley. However, the incoming NSW state assistant secretary Damien Cahill (UniSydney) endorses Ms Gooding.

This is one of only two super-significant races in the union’s elections, the other being for the Victorian state leadership where a team led by existing secretary Colin Long is challenged by Melissa Slee (RMIT) and colleagues.