frog12986 said:
The fact remains that if the unions were so adamant that the majority of students receive tangible benefits from the provided services and facilities, then they would 'wholeheartedly' believe that this majority will continue to pay membership fees regardless. If students recognise the benefits then they will continue to pay for their provision..
I agree with what Not That Bright said in the other post on the issue, that being, if the unions were more organised and developed a coherent argument on the issue then there would be somewhat more credence to what they are trying to promote. They are fighting an unwinnable fight and have absolutely no backbone in what they are trying to say in the first place...
how should they have run their defence campaign differently?
they should probably have highlighted the fact that universal student advocacy would be lost - but seems like most people aren't concerned by things they should be.
i think the biggest problem is that what they're fighting for can't be recognised as worthwhile by many because they lack the perception to find value in things outside of $. most of the VSU support on this board is evidence of that.
again and again i just see people criticising the way the union is run - which is very true and has faced no opposition. i don't think anyone would dispute the fact that many of the fees are unfairly high and the money is poorly distributed.
fact is though, VSU isn't an answer to this in ANY way.
every argument in favour of VSU is a criticism of the union - which is telling. the policy sucks from every angle. it's essentially like curing a headache with a shotgun. no one here can explain any of the productive or reformative elements to the liberal party plan because it doesn't exist.
making union fees voluntary does absolutely nothing to solve problems within the union. in fact, the policy is so cynical it only heightens the problems by encouraging the union to employ an extensive defensive campaign with more money spent unnecessarily.
you know an education policy is bullshit when it is opposed on administrative levels everywhere, including the likes Gavin Brown, and the government stubbornly refuses productive dialogue with ANYONE.
it's another cynical, petty ideological policy that only further cements an unending contempt many of us have for the present government.