Leila Clarke

Running for: Welfare Officer

Hey! My name is Leila (she/her) and I’m running for ANUSA Welfare Officer 2026!

I’m a second-year Law & International Relations student, who moved from regional NSW to study at ANU, and I’m angry about the same things you are. I’m also the president of the Refugee Action Campaign, and a social rep at Ursula Hall. Coming from a regional background has shaped my advocacy for Regional, Remote and Rural Students’ (RRRS) issues and directly influenced by policy relating to RRRS rights at ANU. I understand the pressures of living out of home and will work tirelessly to deliver the services you need to relieve cost of living pressures on students. I will work to build a campus where mental health support is prioritised and accessible for all. As Welfare Officer, I will work closely with the departments to drive campaigns and make a difference. I’m particularly excited to work on changing ANU’s SASH policies so they are based on community, with direct student input. Together, we can build a safer, fairer, and more supportive ANU for every student.

Vote [1] Leila Clarke for Welfare Officer.
Vote [1] Leila Clarke for Save Our ResComms for NUS.
Vote [1] RAGE in all positions.

CW: SASH is discussed in this policy.

Affordable ANU, For All

As Welfare Officer, I will work to implement the recommendations made in the Cost of Living Report.

This will include:

  • Expanding the Union Pantry because no one deserves to stress about going hungry;
  • Advocate, in collaboration with the National Union of Students (NUS), to lower the age of independence for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY payments;
  • Expanding support for regional, remote and rural students (RRRS), through initiatives like the RRRS committee and working with our Treasurer candidate Eloisa Belmar to create a grant for emergency flights home;
  • Strengthening student consultation in the ANU decision making, including: pricing decisions, uni management, parking, accommodation, course cuts and student support services;
  • And soooo much more…

Period products are a right – not a luxury. I will work to provide more free period products across campus, not just in the 6 libraries. Too often students are forced to go without period products because of cost, stigma, or lack of access. This creates unnecessary barriers to education and wellbeing. By making period products freely available, ANU will take a real step toward building a campus that is inclusive, supportive, and accessible for everyone.

SASH on Campus – We deserve better

As Welfare Officer, I will advocate to fill the gaps in the current consent training and modules. There are three significant gaps that have been identified:

  1. Hall based consent training.
  • I have been actively involved in consent and respectful behaviour workshops at my college, and I want to expand this initiative campus-wide. For consent training to truly be effective, it must be tailored to the community it serves, developed through consultation and collaboration. These workshops will run concurrently with a wider module for all residents on campus.
  1. Workshops that specifically address male experiences and masculinity in the context of SASH (sexual assault and sexual harassment) and consent.
  • This is a critical gap in the current consent training and an essential piece in tackling SASH on campus. Engaging all genders in conversations around SASH and targeted education, is integral to foster safer, more respectful campus culture for everyone.
  1. Continuity between staff and student consent training.
  • The Nixon Review highlighted the disparity between what staff know and what students are being taught. I will advocate to ensure that the pilot program proposed by the Rights, Relationships, and Respect Unit (RRRU) is implemented and that this disparity is resolved.

I will advocate for and work closely with the RRRU at ANU to ensure these workshops are relevant, impactful, and meaningful for all students.

The National Student Code was recently passed in the federal Parliament. I will hold the ANU accountable and push to keep the ANU on par and up to standard with implementing the 7 codes.

I will work with the relevant departments and the treasurer candidate, Eloisa Belmar Osborn, to advocate for a space for Survivor’s Hub on campus. This hub will be for any student who has experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment or domestic and family violence (SASH and DFV) and needs a quiet space to feel empowered, safe and supported.

Your Mental Health Matters

As your Welfare Officer, I will fight for more counsellors on campus, because every student deserves access to mental health support when they need it. Right now, wait times for counselling can be up to 12 weeks. This is unacceptable. Students shouldn’t have to wait months for help when they’re struggling, and I’ll push for faster, fairer access.

I will also work with ANU Counselling to launch a mental health awareness campaign. Too many students don’t know what support is available, both on campus and in Canberra. This information gap especially affects international students, who may have different understandings of mental health, and male identifying students, who are often underrepresented in mental health conversations. Making services more visible and accessible will make it easier for students to reach out and get the help they need, when they need it.

Voices from the regions!

Regional, Remote and Rural students (RRRS) deserve representation and support at ANU.

As Welfare officer, I will work alongside the president of the RRRS club to establish a RRRS committee. This committee will represent the interest of all RRR students at ANU, providing MORE money for events and MORE support to help the community grow. As a regional student myself, who had to move from home so that I could go to university, I felt like ANU was a very city centric university. I didn’t know any other regional students who I lived with. A RRRS committee would provide a space where regional students could connect, making them feel more welcomed at ANU. RRR students deserve meaningful representation on campus. A RRRS committee will do this.

I will also advocate for a RRRS room on campus. There are RRR students who have to travel several hours to get to uni and don’t have anywhere to go in between classes. Having a room would make ANU more welcoming and accessible for regional students.

I will work with the marketing board at the university to create a brochure that includes all relevant information about studying at ANU. This brochure will be sent to schools across the country. A lack of information about ANU is a barrier preventing RRR students from moving away from home and studying at ANU. An information brochure will make ANU more accessible and make the transition to Canberra easier for RRR students across the country.

Transparency in Action

I’ve been directly involved in the Save our ResComm campaign. I deeply care about how the ANU has treated the rescomm’s in their consultation process. As Welfare Officer, I will advocate for more transparency between ANUSA, the ResComms, and RED.

I will also work with ANUSA and rescoms to compile an Annual Residential Life Report, which will highlight the issues, achievements, and areas for improvement across residencies. The report will be shared with relevant university stakeholders.

NUS Policy
I’m also running on Save our ResComms for the National Union of Students (NUS) because I’m proud to take the fight for residential rights to the national stage. We deserve better.

As your delegate for the NUS I will advocate for residential rights for students across the country so that we have a say over our communities and the place that we live.

I will advocate for MORE student consultation in any changes that are made to our communities and leadership structures.

I will push for a report to identify where there has been misconduct from staff in consultation processes and communication with students in residential halls across the country.