MELBOURNE — On March 31, 200 students from university campuses across Melbourne rallied at the University of Melbourne to protest federal education minister Brendan Nelson and the introduction of “voluntary student unionism” (VSU) legislation.

Nelson was invited to speak at a conference sponsored by the Australian and the Melbourne Institute entitled “Sustaining Prosperity: New Reform Opportunities for Australia”.

Students made lots of noise, banging on pots ands drums and blowing whistles. Speakers from Victoria University, the Victorian College of the Arts, La Trobe University, Swinburne University and the University of Melbourne discussed the fundamental right to free education and highlighted how the student movement has fought other attacks and succeeded.

Kate Davidson, a member of the National Tertiary Education Union who works for the Melbourne University student union, explained how the introduction of VSU will affect the 23,000 people who work for student organisations around the country.

National Union of Students education officer Rebecca Barrigos said that the campaign against VSU was about students defending their right to politically organise.

Sean Seymour-Jones

From Green Left Weekly, April 6, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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