Federal government to fund student organisations
By Alex Bainbridge
MELBOURNE — The federal government brought legislation before parliament on June 30 to override the "voluntary student unionism" (VSU) legislation enacted by the Victorian government.
The Victorian law attacks student unions and student representative councils as organisations representing all students. While students are still required to pay a compulsory fee, the spending of this money is controlled by the university administration rather than students. The legislation specifically limits the services funded by this money.
Despite a lack of consultation with students, the bill was enacted, without publicity or reports in the media, in the midst of a student campaign against VSU.
The federal legislation allows the federal government, at the discretion of the minister for higher education, to fund student organisations when a state either limits the ability of universities to collect money for these organisations, or limits the purposes to which the student organisation may apply those funds.
However, student activists have vowed to continue the campaign to defend student unionism, pointing to some of the limitations of the legislation. "Since the funding of student organisations would be controlled by the federal minister, the legislation would be useless if a federal government committed to VSU were elected", said La Trobe Uni anti-VSU campaigner Di Quin.
"Funding could be threatened if the student organisation in question spoke out or organised against government policy. Further, this legislation offers no protection to TAFE students."
The Student Unionism Network continues to meet on Tuesdays at RMIT (FOBS room) at 6pm. Students are also building a mass rally of students, workers and supporters on July 28. Phone (03) 329 1320 or 329 1277 for more information about the campaign.