Students across New Zealand are organising against government attempts to introduce "voluntary student membership" of student organisations. A VSM law passed last year requires all student associations to run referendums on "compulsory" membership by May 1 this year. ZANNY BEGG spoke to NZ University Student Association co-president KAREN SKINNER about the campaign.
Question: How have students organised to defeat VSM?
The current private member's bill was originally intended to be introduced as national legislation, but due to students' pressure on New Zealand First [a government coalition party] an amendment was passed that now means that a student referendum will be held on every university and polytechnic [TAFE] campus to decide whether membership should be "voluntary" or "compulsory". We are fighting those referenda now.
The government has been attempting to implement VSM for a long time. The most important thing we have done to win the referenda is to refuse to be silenced. We have had mass actions against the privatisation of education.
Most importantly, we have never backed down in the fight against the government, and we never will. Students will defend their association if it is strong and fights for them; this is the best justification for universal membership.
We keep challenging the government, informing students and the public about issues which are important for students, fighting for student rights within the university and organising mass protests. We are continuing to do what students associations exist for — to fight.
Question: What has been the impact of VSM at Waikato University, and how has this affected students' attitudes to VSM?
Referenda on VSM at Waikato in 1996 and 1997 both won a "voluntary" result. The president in 1996, Ben King, is now the ministerial appointee on the university council, and the president in 1997, Rick Marshall, now works for the [far-right] ACT party. So it is not hard to see who was pushing for voluntary membership.
Waikato Student Association is the perfect example of the failings of voluntary membership: it has withdrawn from the national students' association, which means it has no national voice; it is going to lose representation within the university, including the main university council; it has not led any organised opposition to the government or university; it has laid off staff and has so few members it will not release figures; and it has stopped properly supporting clubs, which has resulted in a boring campus life.
Last year, the student association put a user charge on the student job search service, which resulted in decreasing enrolments and job placements. It is also undemocratic: Waikato's current president was elected on 46 votes, yet he controls assets built up by years of compulsory membership. The student newspaper looks more like an advertising magazine than a newspaper, and the union has privatised the radio station and now has only a minority share in it.
Waikato Student Association is so embarrassed about how badly voluntary membership is working that it is threatening court action against four other associations for exposing it.
Question: Is your focus in the anti-VSM campaign on services or representation?
As a national organisation, the main thing that we are defending is students' right to a united voice and a high quality degree. We are, however, also fighting the university or private business taking over our services and making profits out of students. We are fighting to retain student control of student affairs.
Question: What do you expect to be the outcome of the referenda in May?
I am confident that we will win overwhelmingly. A survey done at Otago University by the student newspaper found that 78% of students support compulsory membership.
The government has attempted to influence the result of the referenda through various means. One of the most outrageous is that it has prohibited students from paying their student association fees out of the student loan scheme so that at the beginning of the year, students find it hard to pay the fee and get angry at their association.
The reason that associations are under attack is because we speak out against the government. This point has been central to our campaign. The government is currently pushing through massive privatisation reforms in the tertiary sector. It is an election year, so it is not hard to see the agenda behind VSM.
Question: How have you linked the campaign to defeat VSM to broader social struggles?
"Women's rights are compulsory" has been one of our campaign slogans. We've been highlighting how important it is for women especially to have a strong voice advocating for them. The campaigns that the associations run to challenge sexual harassment, rape and violence are also a tangible way for students to see the reasons to have associations on campus.
Students associations here have also been involved with establishing and defending women's studies departments.
Over time, student associations have been central to many social movements, including the anti-Vietnam War, anti-Springbok tour, homosexual law reform, the women's liberation movement, and we are pushing students to realise that we are a crucial part of the current social movement to stop the privatisation.