Universities & Student Politics 1

In recent weeks the issue of compulsory studentHowever this didn’t have to happen the
fees has re-surfaced on the Australian politicalNational body saw this coming they new that the
landscape. Prior to 2005 non academic studentCoalition government elected in 1996, when given
services such on all major Australian publicthe opportunity would move to make these fees
university campuses were administered by theillegal. So why did they do nothing? Why didn’t
student union, student representative council orthey reform there organizations? Why didn’t
student guild, from compulsory fees paid by thethey plan for a rainy day?
students at university. These fees ranged fromWell the answers to each of these questions can
as low as in some cases $75 a year up to inbe summed up in one word Factionalism. The
some cases $600 a year.warring tribes within the tribe had become
In 2005 the Federal coalition governmentun-democratic themselves; they were more
introduced legislation which made the collecting ofinterested in doing deals, getting one up on each
these compulsory fees’s illegal. Theother rather than looking after the best interests
government argument for the legislation wasof the majority of students or working together
ideological; they talked about freedom ofto reform the national body and plan for the
association and the right to have a choice. Thefuture. How do I know this well I was once right
argument against which was also ideological, andin the heart of student politics I was once an
mounted by the National body of Studentsofficer bearer with the National body in Western
organization across Australia, was that theAustralia, and a former student guild President as
government was suppressing political expressionwell as a member of one of these factions.
and that they were denying student control ofOn two occasions I attended conferences of the
student affairs.national body, and on both of these occasions I
Both arguments on paper were weak, but thesaw things that would shock you and things that I
legislation got through for three reasons-just could simple not believe. At one national
conference during a debate on a particular policy
1. The Coalition government had control of thewhich I can’t remember now there was a
upper house (Senate).brawl, and at the same conference our lives were
2. The National Union of Students and studentthreaten and for the rest of the conference
organizations across Australia had grown out ofsecurity had to escort us everywhere. It was
touch with the ordinary university student.after this second incident that I asked myself
3. They didn’t work with other groups towhat am I doing here the national body has lost
mount a credible national campaign, whichits way.
captured the hearts and minds of Australian’sIt is from this moment onwards that I changed
like the ACTU did with the fight against workmy view, I became a harsh critic of these
choices.organizations and there real value to the average
The impact of these fees being made illegal wasstudent on a university campus in Australia. While
different for each organization depending on thereI welcome in recent days talk by the new Federal
circumstances. In Western Australia the studentLabor government of a re-introduction of a
guilds almost didn’t survive due to the factcompulsory student service fee, I strongly urge
that they had all ready lived through eight yearsthe government not to allow student organization
of voluntary fees under a previous coalition statecart blanch with the money, but instead make it
government. In other states organizations had tothat the universities administer the money in
tighten there belts and make massive cutbacks, itconsultation with these organizations. That way
basically meant the end of the gravy train, andthis money will not be wasted on things that
for the national body it was the last nail in thedon’t help the average student on and
coffin of an all ready broken down andAustralian public university campus.
un-representative body.