Rudd to allow universities to force students to pay union "fees" (1 Viewer)

jb_nc

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HUNDREDS of millions of dollars will flow onto university campuses next year under a Rudd Government plan to restore student services gutted by Howard government laws banning compulsory student union fees.

Youth Minister Kate Ellis will today announce changes that will allow universities from July next year to charge a compulsory annual fee of up to $250 per student to fund sporting facilities, child care, counselling and other student services.

The cap, which will be indexed each year, will ensure the fee does not reach the levels it did before the coalition's voluntary student unionism laws were introduced in 2006, when some universities were charging as much as $600 per student.

In another measure to ensure the fee does not create a barrier to access for poorer students, the Government will create a HECS-style income-contingent loan system to allow students to defer payment of the fee.

Universities will not be required to collect a fee and can choose to set it at a lower level. But with the nation's equivalent full-time enrolments standing at about 1 million, the scheme could net as much as $250 million a year, more than replacing the $170 million stripped out of the system by the Howard-era laws, which led to a 30% cut in student organisation staff.

In a further boost, the Government will broaden the objectives of the Capital Development Pool to allow it to pay for refurbishments of neglected facilities.

Under the scheme, all universities will be required to provide a basic level of student support services and adhere to national protocols on representation and advocacy as a condition of their Commonwealth funding — regardless of whether they choose to levy a compulsory fee.

These standards are still to be determined, but they are expected to prevent the compulsory fee from being spent on political campaigns.

Ms Ellis stressed the policy was not a return to compulsory student unionism, and it would remain illegal for a university to force a student to be a member of a student organisation.

The new system, which follows a review of the impact of student unionism, was widely welcomed.

"I think the Government has given us a lifeline," said Peter Boyle, president of the student representative council at La Trobe University.

Angus McFarland, president of the National Union of Students, said the Labor policy was a "win-win" for students.

"We're very happy and relieved that we have a clear path forward to not only restore student services and representation but actually guaranteeing them … and there's not going to be any forced upfront cost," he said. But he said universities should be required to pass the fees on to student organisations rather than using the money to provide services themselves.

"Students should be the ones to decide what the money is spent on, not bureaucrats in Canberra or bureaucrats in universities," he said.

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations cautiously welcomed the change but said the fee should be levied for and on behalf of student organisations rather than being controlled by universities.

"Universities will charge a fee and will siphon that revenue off to do with as they see fit if they're not compelled to account for it transparently," president Nigel Palmer said.

University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis praised the policy, which he said the university would move to introduce in semester two next year.

Glenn Withers, chief executive of Universities Australia, which represents 38 of the nation's universities, said it was broadly supportive of the move but expressed disappointment that the Government was not providing any of its own money.

Opposition education spokes man Christopher Pyne said the coalition would examine the proposal closely but would not support "any slide back towards compulsory student unionism".
http://www.theage.com.au/national/unis-poised-for-fee-bonanza-20081102-5gaj.html?page=-1

Rudd is a fuckhead and so is that bitch Kate Ellis.

Fuck them all. I don't use childcare, sporting facilities or nut counselling, and I'm sure many of you don't either so why do we have to pay for this shit?

Also fuck Angus McFarlane.
 

withoutaface

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Start writing fucking letters to Senators. Specifically Xenophon, Fielding and Joyce.

Not emails, letters. Follow up with phone calls.
 

iamsickofyear12

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I don't like the idea but I am finishing this year and since it no longer affects me I don't really care.
 

jb_nc

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iamsickofyear12 said:
I don't like the idea but I am finishing this year and since it no longer affects me I don't really care.
Cool! Thanks for posting you fat shit!
 

Martyno1

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iamsickofyear12 said:
I don't like the idea but I am finishing this year and since it no longer affects me I don't really care.
jb_nc said:
Cool! Thanks for posting you fat shit!
lmaoooo best two posts ever
 

Iron

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I think I remember Kate Ellis telling me that she was president of Adelaide University SU
I feel this is significant
 

Iron

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It's pretty low imo, and yer, sweet, put it on my hecs card

I think that part of the problem is that it became such a joke to suggest that people on student unions were anything but self-serving, phoney arseholes after some petty powers and a career boost. They cant really claim to represent anyone in any significant sense, and in my experience they barely pretend to
 

withoutaface

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Exphate said:
Someone write a letter template and post it up so I can spam them.

Two senators (one from ALP one from Liberals) were on Sky before harping on about this, and the Labor dude (as well as Kate Ellis who preceeded this) were praising union fees because ALL students will see increased services - counsellors, sporting activities, "free" advocacy etc etc.

I'm not on main campus, and we get none of this. Last year we had a counsellor once a fortnight, and this year she has not been around once. I fail to see how I'm going to benefit from the ~$40k/semester (or year, however it is actually charged) that is going to be pumped into the uni from students at my campus.
Don't send template letters you fucking nonce. Write something yourself about how you can't afford the fees, and send it using paper and a stamp.
 

Nebuchanezzar

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jb_nc said:
I don't use childcare, sporting facilities or nut counselling, and I'm sure many of you don't either so why do we have to pay for this shit?
That'd dumb. You're dumb. Go back to Monaco, asshole.

Having said that I'll participate in your letter writing hatefest and angry student protests that will do nothing. :)
 

jb_nc

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Nebuchanezzar said:
That'd dumb. You're dumb. Go back to Monaco, asshole.

Having said that I'll participate in your letter writing hatefest and angry student protests that will do nothing. :)
I bought this ACCESS card because I got something I actually used for the price. The summer pack or whatever it was this year was good value including a SMH subscription. Paying $250 for shit I'm never going to use and, perhaps, to fund student politics is not okay. I'm not going to join the union any more and I expect they should lower prices for everyone now.

I love how Angus McFarpoof acts like it's in the best interests of the students to pay $250 a year for services 95% of students will never use; and it's not like you can't get the only worthwhile service (counselling) privately under medicare for free. What a cockhead. *pays mobile phone bill with union money*

EDIT: Remember, we only need one senator to vote against this. Fielding voted for VSU and his electoral office was attacked.
 
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jb_nc

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*pays mobile phone bill with union money*
 

withoutaface

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jb_nc said:
I bought this ACCESS card because I got something I actually used for the price. The summer pack or whatever it was this year was good value including a SMH subscription. Paying $250 for shit I'm never going to use and, perhaps, to fund student politics is not okay. I'm not going to join the union any more and I expect they should lower prices for everyone now.

I love how Angus McFarpoof acts like it's in the best interests of the students to pay $250 a year for services 95% of students will never use; and it's not like you can't get the only worthwhile service (counselling) privately under medicare for free. What a cockhead. *pays mobile phone bill with union money*

EDIT: Remember, we only need one senator to vote against this. Fielding voted for VSU and his electoral office was attacked.
Problem is Joyce could vote with Labor again.
 

Rafy

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Joyce will almost definitely cross the floor. The bill's defeat would thus require both Xenophon AND Fielding to vote against it.
 
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