A private member's Bill which aims to ensure nobody is
compelled to join a tertiary students' association would
badly damage the interests of Dunedin tertiary students,
student leaders said yesterday.
Otago University Students Association president Harriet
Geoghegan and Otago Polytechnic Students Association
president Megan Cloughley yesterday made oral submissions to
the parliamentary education and science select committee in
Dunedin.
The committee, chaired by National MP Allan Peachey, was in
the city to hear oral submissions on the Education (Freedom
of Association) Amendment Bill.
This Bill, sponsored by Act New Zealand MP Sir Roger Douglas,
aims to uphold students' right to freedom of association by
"ensuring that no student is compelled to join a students'
association", according to the Bill's explanatory note.
Ms Cloughley said the polytechnic association's office was a
lean operation, employing only a small staff, and was heavily
involved in helping students, including providing crucial
advocacy support.
OPSA strongly opposed the Bill, which would destroy the
association if it became law, and damage the interests of
Otago Polytechnic students, she said.
Ms Geoghegan said the many student services provided by OUSA,
including a food bank and student advocacy service, were
supported by a huge amount of unpaid voluntary effort by
fellow students.
This amounted to 200,000 hours last year, she said.
If the proposed Bill became law, the university association
would face uncertainty about its future and Dunedin's wider
economic interests would also be damaged.
If OUSA was unable to continue to provide some services, and
Otago University tried to provide them, this would prove much
more costly because of the reduced voluntary input, she said.
Sir Roger, who is a member of the select committee, suggested
provisions in the existing opt-out clause for student
membership were too daunting and might simply deter students
from leaving.
Another member, National MP Jo Goodhew, asked Ms Geoghegan
for her view about an alternative opt-out system, under which
new students automatically became members of a students'
association but then had the right to opt out more readily if
they chose. She had no objection.
john.gibb@odt.co.nz
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