VSM here to stay,
Students no longer need to pay,
ACT on Campus very gay,
Dinosaur-cunt shouts hooray?
The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, colloquially known as the VSM bill, finally passed its third reading in Parliament last Wednesday September 28, ushering in a new chapter in the history of New Zealand’s student’s associations.
The bill easily passed its final reading, with National and United Future joining ACT to push through the Heather Roy’s bill, despite widespread opposition to the legislation from student activists.
The final reading of the bill attracted a small protest outside Parliament, with MPs from Labour, the Greens, and the Maori Party joining students from Victoria University on the steps of the Parliament building.
However, neither the protest nor appeals from student leaders managed to sway National from supporting the bill, which means that from January 1 2012, membership of student associations will be voluntary. This will have the effect of slashing the revenues of most student associations, with most associations currently relying heavily on student levies for funding.
Predictably, student leaders reacted with dismay, with media releases rolling in from all corners of the country decrying the result.
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations Co-President David Do slammed the bill. “Tonight’s vote symbolises the real disdain this Government has for students. In reality, National has shown none of their supposed pragmatism. Instead, National has chosen to enable the extreme ideology of a discredited fringe political party. By ignoring the overwhelming opposition, arguments, and evidence, National have shown their real colours”.
Whilst most student organisations were complaining about the bill’s passage, ACT on Campus welcomed “a future of more representative and accountable students' associations for future generations”. Dr Brash tweeted “students rush the streets holding members of the liberators @ActOnCampus aloft on their shoulders and chanting @petermcc’s name #VSM”.
VSM passage inspires postmodern Cubist poetry
