Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Student leaders propose alternative to extreme ACT Bill

Student leaders propose alternative to extreme ACT Bill

Student leaders are today calling for National to adopt a proposal which guarantees every student the right to freedom of association whilst ensuring that strong independent students’ associations can continue to provide credible and effective student representation and cost-effective services. This proposal is a fairer alternative to ACT’s bill to end universal membership of students’ associations.

“Unfortunately, debate on the Bill has been bogged down in an ideological quagmire, with students stuck between the extreme positions that get all the attention – ‘compulsory’ membership, that means some students must be members of organisations they don’t want to be, or the opposite approach which means there is no requirement to have student representative organisations at all, or any ability for students to ensure there is one,” said NZUSA Co-President Max Hardy.

NZUSA is today releasing a practical proposal which would improve the current law which governs students’ associations and provides an enduring solution.

“This is a fair, balanced, and reasonable solution to ensure students can exercise freedom of association while allowing students’ associations to continue to be an independent advocate for students, hold institutions to account, drive a focus on teaching and learning, and provide the wide range of services, experiences, and facilities that students use, need, and enjoy on a daily basis,” says NZUSA Co-President David Do.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

The main features include:
• Students will automatically become members of their students’ association when they enrol at a tertiary institution.
• Students may opt-out of their association at any time and for any (or no) reason.
• If students opt-out within the first four weeks of term, they would receive a full refund of any association fees.
• Membership processes would be administered and promoted by the institution rather than the students’ association.
• Associations would improve their governance and operations through a Code of Practice for democracy and accountability.
• The proposed law would come into effect in 2013, ensuring enough time for the sector to make adjustments.

“This practical proposal would do what ACT claim they are trying to achieve with their current Member’s Bill. Students will see this proposal as a fair and sensible alternative, the proposal has widespread support from students’ associations, and echoes suggestions made by submitters during the Select Committee process,” says Hardy.

NZUSA has offered to discuss their alternative to ACT’s Bill in further detail, but no alternative has yet been agreed to by National or ACT.

“This Bill is not in the public interest and should be replaced with fairer alternatives, such as what we have proposed, that ensure the best outcomes for students. We are calling on National to adopt a practical, pragmatic solution and provide the sector with an enduring solution that offers stability and certainty,” concludes Hardy.

NZUSA is the national representative body for tertiary students and has been advocating on student issues since 1929.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out - for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool, or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice. Yet when Luxon (and senior MP Chris Bishop) tried to defend the indefensible with the same wildly inaccurate claim, there are not a lot of positive explanations left on the table.... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.