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Media Release: National Party called on to support Student Services for Regional Universities and Students

Posted 19 November 2010 by Michael Evans (NTEU National Office)

NTEU calls on the Senate to pass the Student Services and Amenities Fee Bill 2010 when it is introduced into the Senate next week.  When passed, the Bill will allow universities to restore many of the student services and advocacy which have been severely depleted as a consequence of the Coalition’s Voluntary Student Unionism legislation passed in 2006.

“The National Party in particular needs to decide if it will look after the interests of their constituents or delay this bill for a short term maintenance of the legacy of the Liberal Government,”  Matt McGowan, Assistant National Secretary of NTEU, said to today.

“The restoration of student services is especially important for students studying at regional institutions where the Universities cannot afford to take funding from teaching activities to maintain them, and there is limited access to these services off campus.”

 “It is critical that all university students have affordable and accessible essential services, and voice that is elected and resourced to allow it to represent student interests on campus.”

The Bill will allow universities to charge students a fee of up to $250 per year for the provision of student support and advocacy services. It explicitly excludes the use of any of the monies being used for party political purposes.  As a condition of imposing the fee each university will be required to establish a democratically elected student representative body which must have representatives elected by and from undergraduate, postgraduate and international student cohorts.  

"NTEU applauds Andrew Wilkie, Rob Oakeshott, and Adam Bandt for supporting the passage of the Bill in the House of Representatives and is now calling on members of the National Party to support its passage through the Senate next week.” 

“NTEU believes the Student Amenities Bill is complementary to the amendments to the eligibility criteria for student income support for regional students introduced by the Coalition this week, which the NTEU also supports,” Mr McGowan concluded.

For further information and comment:

Matthew McGowan, NTEU Assistant National Secretary, 0417 054 110

Tags: , , , • Related Blogs: ACT Division, NSW Division, NT Division, Vic Division, WA Division, SA Division, Qld Division, Tas Division, Australian Catholic University, University of Adelaide, Australian Defence Force Academy, Australian National University, University of Ballarat, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Bond University, University of Canberra, Charles Darwin University, Central Queensland University, Charles Sturt University, Curtin University of Technology, Deakin University, Edith Cowan University, Flinders University, Griffith University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, Murdoch University, University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales, Queensland University of Technology, RMIT University, Southern Cross University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Sydney, University of New England, University of Queensland, University of South Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Southern Queensland, University of Technology Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Western Sydney, University of Wollongong

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