Some people might be sick of hearing about VSU (voluntary student unionism), others might not care, but I know a lot of people are still confused about what VSU is and what is means for us here at our uni. So this article is to get you up to speed on it all.

What:

VSU is probably the most significant legislation to effect students in the last decade (besides increases to our HECS fees). The legislation makes it illegal for universities to collect compulsory fees for the provision of student services. In the past our uni has charged us around $180 a semester as a General Services Charge (GSC). This money got distributed amongst UNU, NUSA (who brings you this publication), NUSport and NUPSA (for postgrads). Pooled together (like taxes) this money brought students a wide range of accessible services: from chips and beer, to cultural events, to sporting facilities, to help in times of need (everything that makes uni more than just a learning institution). From this semester onwards, the uni won’t be allowed to charge students GSC and so all our student organisations (UNU, NUSA, NUSport, NUPSA) will loose their funding. This means a withdrawal of $6 million per year from student services. Obviously, these organisations and their services are now an endangered species on our campus.

When:

VSU came into action of the 1st of July 2006

Why:

My interpretation of this is that the government sees students as rat bags who talk when there not spoken to. That is to say, they wanted to shut us up and the best way they could see to do this was to take away the organisations (eg. NUSA) that get students together and give them the resources to make a commotion. So it’s a political tactic to cut down opposition to their vision of what our country should be (news flash: its our country too!).

The problem is that this legislation affects a whole lot more than just the political activities that students might be involved in. It affects students’ access to a wide range services and support networks on their campuses and their right to have their needs and concerns heard, most immediately, on their campuses, but also within the broader community.

Espoused in notions of choice, this legislation is really about the opposite. Sure, we won’t have to pay the GSC, but the things we have available to us now might disappear because they don’t have any funding. Well, that won’t leave us with much choice will it? NUSA used to be able to give out emergency loans to students in crises. We can’t do that anymore. Opus also has an uncertain future.

Its widely recognised that paying taxes (while being annoying) is beneficial to our country as a whole. Well, same goes for our GSC. If the government is gonna take one away, why not the other, if they’re really on about choices?

How?

I have no idea how a democratic government can justify implementing a piece of legislation that has as a central (but well spun) aim to impede advocacy and political commentary and diminish civil society.

Liberal governments have tried to get VSU passed for decades. Now that they have a majority in the senate, they did it, despite protest from students nation-wide (I didn’t see much pro-VSU activity from students, only politicians).

Context:

From the very outset of Universities, there have been mechanisms for students to collectively have input into the places in which they learn and live. Indeed, student unions go back as far as the very birth of both the university and the modern state. The voice of students, as the future generation, has often been a source of inspiration, world wide it is a powerful force that has often led people’s movements and changed the course of history. This piece of legislation silences a major subset of the Australian population.

VSU has been introduced at a time when the Coalition government has repeatedly attacked the democratic rights of Australian citizens. Between the repressive new “anti-terror” laws (which can lock a citizen up for an extended period of time without having been charged, only suspected, of acts of sedition) and “work-choices” laws which undermine the rights of common workers, the government has shown a lack of commitment to the rights of Australians. VSU is another piece of legislation to heap on this pile.

So, on our campus this means?.....

On our campus, VSU is already taking effect. Cybercycle has closed, NUSA free-lunches occur less often, clubs and societies have less funding, there are no emergency loans, staff that have worked in student organisations at our uni for over 15 years are losing their jobs. The UNU which used to be owned and controlled by students, is now owned and controlled by the University. Food and beverages and gigs will increase in price (no member discounts), so uni life will most likely get more expensive over all despite not having to pay GSC. Food services are getting taken over by big corporations who swamp out local business.

NUSA now has no reliable income. We depend entirely on your willingness to voluntarily join (at $19 a semester its well worth your while) and (hopefully) some assistance from the University. Our services (independent grievance advice, advocacy, clubs, societies, collectives, free lunch, free condoms, welfare services, a helping hand and the biggest umbrellas on campus, etc…) are not going any where for now, but we need you to ensure they continue!

NUSA is a student controlled, student organised space – lets keep it that way. There has to be somewhere on campus that is autonomous and can act as a check-and-balance to the uni bureaucracy.

What you can do to make this sucker legislation ineffective:

• Join your students association (NUSA) - $19 membership fee

• Don’t vote for the Liberals in the next election

• Speak out – write a letter or ring a politician and tell them what you think

• Campaign - NUSA will soon be kicking off a campaign to pressure Labor to repeal VSU legislation if they win the next federal election.

So that’s where we’re at. The future under this legislation is still very hazy, its hard to tell what the full effects will be, but it is partially up to us, as students. If we support our student organisations voluntarily, this legislation won’t wreak havoc on our rights and services.

Jarra Hicks

(NUSA co-president)