News Flash - Finally the Aust. Govt sees the light
The World Today - Federal Government bans compulsory student unionism
[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/con.../s1324699.htm]
The World Today - Wednesday, 16 March , 2005 12:10:00
Reporter: Alexandra Kirk
HAMISH ROBERTSON: The decision by the Federal Government to ban compulsory student unionism in legislation introduced in Parliament today is meeting stiff opposition from Labor and the minor parties, with one Senator claiming that Education Minister Dr Brendan Nelson is "obsessed" with the issue.
Critics of the legislation say vital services will disappear from universities, punishing the most vulnerable students., but Dr Nelson is determined that from next year, compulsory unionism in universities will be consigned to history.
The legislation is expected to be passed by this July, when the Coalition assumes a majority in the Senate.
Alexandra Kirk reports from Canberra.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: For Education Minister Brendan Nelson ending compulsory up-front student union fees at universities is about choice and fairness.
BRENDAN NELSON: In its first term of office this Government extended the principle of freedom of association to the Australian workplace. Freedom of association is a basic right that should be available to each and every Australian.
At present, this is not the case, Mr Speaker, with students at Australia's higher education institutions still denied the right to freedom of association. Students have fewer freedoms than other Australians because almost all of them must join a student organisation when they enrol at university.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Government's legislation was introduced into Parliament this morning. Student union fees are used to subsidise campus services like cafeterias, sports clubs, student welfare services and bars, as well as student union organisations.
Brendan Nelson says if they want to pay the fees they're free to do so, but that too many students are having to pay for things they don't use and often don't want.
BRENDAN NELSON: From 2006 no student will be compelled to join a student organisation, union or guild unless they choose to. In addition no student will be compelled to pay a fee to an institution for non-academic amenities, facilities or services unless they choose to pay a fee to make use of those services.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The minister's illustrated his argument with this excerpt from a letter to the Prime Minister.
BRENDAN NELSON: "Some of the things that my money has been spent on in the past year include a bus to Woomera for a protest, a sausage sizzle and balloons to protest the Tampa incident, bail for those arrested for the aforementioned Woomera protest. How is this furthering my education?"
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Universities found to be bucking the system will face hefty fines of $100 for every full time student on campus, if the students aren't speedily refunded for services they don't want to use. A university with 20,000 undergraduates would be fined $2 million.
BRENDAN NELSON: They are not to require a student to pay for amenities, facilities and services unless a student has chosen to use them or join them. Commercial enterprises as in the rest of the Australian community will be effective providers of services for which there is a demand.
Student services are an essential part of university life. But why can't these things be funded by choice?
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Government dropped this legislation in 2003 when it negotiated a higher education package with Progressive Alliance Senator, Meg Lees, and three Independents. But with the Coalition set to get a majority in the Senate on the first of July, Dr Nelson's decided to bring it back.
Senator Lees isn't surprised.
MEG LEES: There was always the possibility that the Government would revisit this issue. I think the minister is quite obsessed about this issue.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Why?
MEG LEES: Well, just looking at his explanations as to why we have to as a country go down this route, the student who he chose as an example, the nursing student, well, one simply hopes that this nursing student never needs any counselling or support services, doesn't have any need for childcare, doesn't have a disability and need any of the disability services provided by the student unions, doesn't want to make friends through any of the sporting activities or indeed keep fit…
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Well, the Minister says that the students can now choose to pay for whatever services they want.
MEG LEES: Well, for some of the more, how shall we say, expensive and unusual sporting activities such as abseiling, fine. But when we come to basic sporting activities, it helps set the tone of the university.
And in particular when we come to services like counselling, like representative services when students are battling, for example on a discrimination issue, students are simply not going to be able to pay the upfront costs, the full costs of what that service means for them. So basically it means students with disabilities, students on very low incomes are going to be further marginalised.
JENNY MACKLIN: Most of the money goes to subsidising medical services, childcare services, housing advice on campus, legal advice, subsidising sporting facilities, some of our best sportspeople have come out of university sporting organisations. This is Brendan Nelson just playing student politics. It's pure Liberal Party ideology.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Labor's Jenny Macklin says these services will cease to exist because universities won't be able to afford to keep them going. She says campus life as we know it will change forever.
And she notes that a number of politicians, including some on the Coalition side, cut their political teeth as student activists.
JENNY MACKLIN: Well, student politics of course is an important part of university life as well. We know that we've got a few ex-student politicians in the Parliament.
Probably the best known is Peter Costello, or if you want to go to Sydney, Tony Abbott. These people have been trying to abolish student organisations since they were at university. They're now keen to take that political fight they had as students into the Parliament.
HAMISH ROBERTSON: Labor's education spokeswoman, Jenny Macklin. That report by Alexandra Kirk.
Great to see a government finally giving university students a choice!
Cheers,
Allan
