WTF!!!- Rudd to bring back compulsory Study Unionism in 2009!!!

[bubble sunglasses]

it almost seems as though they waited until classes were over to avoid protests, clever

 are more students in favour than not? [I know "majority rules" is a severly flawed principal]

[sxcalexc]

The article reports that students will able to put it on their HECS

Oh, well that makes everything better, doesn't it?   

[Collin Li]

It means students will have even less reason (and ability) to protest and care about it, but there will be hidden costs on the taxpayer.

[Eriny]

At ANU, union fees are paid for each student by the university. I think that's pretty cool. The reasoning behind it was that with voluntary student unionism, students had unequal academic representation, which apparently caused some problems. The provision of childcare is also really important, being a parent should not keep you from accessing education. However, like union fees, I think universities can pay for it themselves. Just like many places of businesses offer free child-care, so can universities. After all, in the end, they're profiting a great deal from students being there.

I think the changes took place because the student unions were very vocal on this issue, and I think the government thought that this was the sentiment of all students. But clearly, if it were, union membership would be much higher than it is.

I think the whole 'China 2' thing is hyperbolic, though I don't approve of some of Rudd's policies (specifically Internet censorship which frustrates me to no end). Rudd is surprisingly socially conservative for a Labor PM, but he's no dictator communist.

[orsel]

I like the way they spin it though:

"You don't have to be in the union! You just have to pay for it."

[brendan]

Just in from The Oz

Students' $250 fee for uni services
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24591830-12332,00.html

Compulsory $250 university student fee faces Senate fight
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24593032-12332,00.html

Liberals tell Barnaby Joyce to toe line over voluntary unionism
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24595307-12332,00.html

[brendan]

I like the spin too "Youth Minister Kate Ellis announced the moves late last night, saying the Howard government had stripped at least $170million out of the universities by imposing voluntary student unionism on services."

More like Student Unions stopped stripping $170 million from students during 07-08.

"Driven by ideological obsession, the previous Liberal government went too far, and students have been paying the price ever since the implementation of VSU in 2006," Ms Ellis said in a statement yesterday.

This just smacks of absolute stupidity. Students/taxpayers will literally be paying the price because of the change. At least during VSU they had some effective choice on whether to pay.

The National Union of Students welcomed the move, confirming student services, including sporting clubs, have deteriorated since voluntary student unionism was introduced in 2005 by the Howard government.

Even the most ignorant would realize that the only reason that such services would "deteriorate" is because simply no one wanted to use them in first place. It wasn't because of Howard, it was because of the students themselves voting with their feet .

[bturville]

at least now the unions will shut the fuck up about VSU.

[bubble sunglasses]

 anyone *else* wanna try their hand at writing a letter to the paper?

[wallah11]

go read the herald sun

[Glockmeister]

Don't blame me, I didn't vote

[brendan]

Uni fee plan 'like a pig with lipstick'
http://news.theage.com.au/national/uni-fee-plan-like-a-pig-with-lipstick-20081103-5gdm.html

[cara.mel]

**********************************************************************
This is a message from Monash Students Association - Clayton.
Monash University provides this email service but takes no responsibility
for the content or accuracy of this information.
**********************************************************************

In this email:

1. End of VSU
2. After Exams Party (AXP)- Thursday 13th November
3. Culture Card Photography Competition-closes 25th of November.


1. End of VSU

In 2005 the Federal Liberal government introduced legislation which
banned
the collection of fees from students to provide services, representation
and advocacy on campuses. This included all non-academic expenditure.
Many
believed that this legislation was introduced as part of a campaign to
prevent criticism of the government at that time.

The result of this legislation at Monash was to see broad increases in
parking fees, ID card replacement fees, and a whole range of other
auxiliary fees at Monash, alongside a reduction in advocacy,
representation
and student services across all campuses.

Yesterday, the Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis and the Federal Labor
Government announced their intention to end the Howard government policy,
which over the last three years forced Universities to either not fund
student services, increase fees (like parking fees or student id
replacement fees) or to shift money out of teaching and learning to cover
services, advocacy and representation.

A significant difference between amenities fees prior to 2005 and in the
future, will be the option to defer the fees, in a program similar to
HECS.
This proposal came from the National Union of Students and Monash Student
Association representatives in recognition of the hardship that upfront
fees place on students.

Monash Student Association has been at the lead of the fight to reinstate
support, advocacy and representation to ensure that you have the best and
fairest experience at University, good luck in your final exams, if you
haven't finished already and enjoy the summer break if we don't see you
at
the After Exams Party.




It was a complete waste of $55 this year (probably used about $10 of its value lawl), there is NO way I am supporting them again. Please don't force me

[ninwa]

what was the $55 for / what did it cover?

[cara.mel]

It made my MSS membership cheaper. That was about it o_o