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.
