Sir Roger Douglas’ Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) of students’ associations bill has been selected as a members bill this morning.
The bill entitled Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill has the stated aim of “uphold[ing] students’ right to freedom of association, by ensuring that no student is compelled to join a students’ association.”
Under the current system every student enrolled at Victoria University has to become a member of Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association. The only way to opt out is to approach the president of the association and provide sound ideological reasons for not wanting to be a member.
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) co-president Jordan King said, “The bill is another idea from Sir Roger Douglas who hasn’t been a student for a long time.
“It looks like he wants to impose his 1980 beliefs on unsuspecting students. He probably doesn’t know what it is like to be on a tight budget. We don’t all get a 90 percent discount on our undertakings.
“We find the system is working fine. We don’t think he is the best person to make this decision for students,” King said.
Douglas frames it as an issue of choice. “We allow students to choose what university or polytechnic they attend, and what papers to take; it’s time we gave them the freedom to choose whether or not to join their local student association rather than forcing them to pay a union fee if they want to study.
“In addition, student associations often support particular political causes, which is inappropriate given that all students are forced to financially contribute. Voluntary student membership will increase the legitimacy of the involvement of such associations with politics,” he said.
The bill is expected to have its first reading in parliament within three to five weeks.
This is not the first time a VSM bill has been put before parliament. In 1997, then-MP Michael Laws managed to pass an amendment allowing VSM under the condition that: a) 10 percent of students signed a petition to force a referendum, and b) a majority of students in the referendum voted for VSM.
The full bill can be read here [pdf].