Richard Colbeck voted very strongly for voluntary student union fees

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Family First Senator Bob Day, which asked that students at each campus should be able to decide for themselves whether or not pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) with a mandatory ballot each year.

Wording of the motion

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) over one million Australian tertiary students are forced to pay up to $286 per year as a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF),

(ii) students at the moment have very little say in how the SSAF monies are spent by their universities and student associations, and

(iii) SSAF is levied regardless of students' need, willingness and ability to access the services and activities they are paying for; and

(b) calls on the Government to amend the Higher Education Support Act so That the SSAF can only be levied with the support of the majority of students at each university campus in a mandatory ballot conducted once an academic year.

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young that: That the Senate— (a) recognises that university enrolments for 2009 are due to begin in the week beginning 28 September 2008 around the country; (b) notes: (i) the summary report, The impact of voluntary student unionism on services, amenities and representation for Australian university students [480 KB], dated April 2008, that specifically highlighted the devastating impact voluntary student unionism (VSU) has had on the quality of student support services on campuses across the country, (ii) the alternative solutions to the current system of VSU put forward by a number of key stakeholders, including a proposal based on a combination of shared funding arrangements between students, universities and government, and (iii) the Government’s commitment to restoring essential student services and representation; and (c) calls on the Minister for Education (Ms Gillard) to confirm before enrolments for the 2009 university calendar commence, that the current system of VSU will be scrapped to address the regressive impact VSU has had on student services and the educational experience, to ensure any change in legislation is in place before 2010.

This was a [http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/05%20About%20Parliament/53%20HoR/532%20PPP/Practice6/PDF/Chapters/6Chap09.ashx substantive motion] [924 KB], meaning that it was a “self-contained proposal... drafted in a form capable of expressing a decision or opinion of the House”.

Someone who voted Aye supported the motion. Since the majority voted No, the motion was unsuccessful. This means that the majority of the Senate disagreed with the motion.

Debate in Parliament

The Labor Government joined the Coalition Opposition in voting against this motion.

Labor Senator Joe Ludwig confirmed that "[t]he government’s consultations on VSU [voluntary student unionism] have supported our view that this policy has had a substantial negative impact for students and the higher education sector".(Read Senator Ludwig's discussion here.) He said "[w]e want to provide a sustainable and robust solution" but that the government "will of course not be rushed on this and is undertaking a proper process to ensure it gets the policy right".

Background to the motion

Voluntary student union fees were introduced by then Prime Minister John Howard’s Coalition Government with the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Upfront Student Union Fees) Bill 2005. This meant that universities could no longer require students to pay a compulsory fee for facilities, amenities or services that were not of an academic nature.

References

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Australian Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja. This means that the motion was rejected.

The motion was:

That the Senate-

(a) notes that:

(i) the introduction of voluntary student unionism on 1 July 2006 has resulted in the loss of numerous jobs and the closure of vital student services,

(ii) many other student services are in jeopardy,

(iii) the Government’s ‘Voluntary Student Unionism Transition Fund’ has done little to protect essential university services such as child care, welfare, counselling, advocacy and accommodation,(Read more about the fund here.)

(iv) the closure of these services is having a devastating effect on poorer students and those in regional and isolated areas, and

(v) the introduction of voluntary student unionism has undermined student autonomy and representation at universities; and

(b) calls on the Government to reverse voluntary student unionism.

References