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Students victims of dodgy Nat-ACT deal

Wednesday, 28 September 2011, 2:36 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

David Shearer
Tertiary Education Spokesperson

28 September 2011

Students victims of dodgy Nat-ACT deal

Students are from today the losers in a dodgy deal between National and ACT on the Voluntary Student Membership Bill, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson David Shearer says.

“National and ACT will today pass the VSM Bill which will effectively deny students the ability to be involved in the delivery of student services,” David Shearer said.

“National is only supporting this Bill to prop up an imploding and ineffective ACT Party. Heather Roy was dumped by ACT and National as a Cabinet Minister.

“As a consolation prize to keep her and ACT’s coalition votes, National agreed to support legislation that isn’t wanted or needed by the students it affects. That also killed a compromise Labour had suggested which some National MPs had agreed to.

“Labour fought hard against this Bill, because we listened to the students and the tertiary institutions that it effects. National and ACT have turned a deaf ear to the students because they are blinded by ideology, or perhaps simply too arrogant to listen.

“The ACT Party MPs who are supporting this legislation aren’t even going to be here next term to see the consequences. They are deserting ACT as it sinks into oblivion.

“This Bill will hamper students’ ability to access services ranging from, careers advice, health care, crèches and from having a proper say on student councils because student association funds will inevitably dry up.

“Instead, the institutions themselves will need to pick up vital services and will then bill students for them. Students will still pay, but get no say.

“It’s poor legislation and it was a poor decision by National to sell out students in order to get five votes from the ACT Party,” David Shearer said.

“A Labour Government will repeal the VSM Bill.”

ENDS

 
 
 
 
 
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