Students say video shows Woodhouse opposed to Bill

National MP Michael Woodhouse is being called on to cross the floor on a bill aimed at cutting mandatory membership of student associations in the wake of a video of him apparently telling students he didn't support it.

However Mr Woodhouse told ODT online the posted video was a "carefully edited version'' of a longer speech, which he made during an OUSA organised debate about VSM on July 16.

The National list MP rejected any notion he would cross the floor to vote against the Bill at its third reading in Parliament, later today.

The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations called for him to cross the floor after seeing the video, taken at a political candidates debate at Otago University last month, in which Woodhouse says he doesn't  support ACT's Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill ''as it is introduced at the moment".

OUSA president Logan Edgar said: "We hope Mr. Woodhouse will stay true to his word and vote against the flawed VSM bill."

He noted there had been protests throughout the country in the past few months, and said 98% of submissions were against the VSM or Education [Freedom of Association] Amendment Bill.

Those included submissions from the Dunedin City Council, the Human Rights Commission and the University of Otago itself.

OUSA asked that the National Government, and all those voting, should listen to the submissions, the protests, and to the students directly affected by this Bill.

The Bill, first proposed by retiring Act MP Heather Roy, is to have its third and final reading in Parliament today, effectively rubber-stamping the demise of compulsory membership of student associations.

Student associations expect to face a huge drop in revenue when membership becomes voluntary, a move which is expected to threaten the provision of student services, administration, and campus facilities.

NZUSA Co-President Max Hardy said Mr Woodhouse showed support for the compromise solution that was put to National and Act by NZUSA and others during the Select Committee stage, and it would be embarrassing for him to now vote for the bill.

He said an analysis of Hansard reports and Supplementary Order papers had revealed about 30 proposed amendments to the Freedom of Association Bill had been voted down during the reading stages, while another 4 were financially vetoed.

"National has stubbornly supported this poor legislation while voting down many reasonable amendments that would have made this Bill more workable, less harmful, and easier to adjust to," he said.

Financially vetoed amendments had sought to make it easier for students to pay association fees via the student loan scheme and to provide tertiary institutions with transition funding to carry on providing services previously provided by associations if they collapse under the new system, Mr Hardy said.

National's rejection of the proposals had effectively ruled out options giving students a "more informed choice next year.''

National had also ruled out a "Kiwisaver-styled opt-out system'', Mr Hardy said.

"If they really wanted to provide more choice for students - their stated aim in supporting [this Bill] - then they should have been open to some of these suggestions."

Mr Woodhouse said he had not supported the Bill, in the form of which it had first been introduced, but it had since been debated through a process including the first and second reading stages at select committee level.

At the time of the OUSA debate, the VSM Bill was stuck in an "outrageous filibustering attempt'' from Labour MPs, who had tried to delay the legislation change.

"At that time it appeared the Bill was likely to be stuck in the committee stage until after the election. Any MP questioned about its progress, at that point in time, would have agreed the same,'' Mr Woodhouse said.

Labour MPs sitting on the select committee which had debated the VSM Bill, had the opportunity to "raise improvements'', such as inserting an "opt-out'' clause for membership of student associations.

"They never did that,'' Mr Woodhouse said.

The North Dunedin electorate candidate is scheduled to speak to the House this afternoon, during the third reading of the contentious Bill in Parliament.

"It would never cross my mind to vote against [a Bill which is about] freedom of choice. Not a chance of it,'' he said, when asked if he would vote against VSM as called for by the NZUSA.