Newcastle Anti-VSU Rally

On Saturday (7 May) around 100 Newcastle students, staff and community supporters braved the wind and rain to rally against Nelson’s proposed VSU (voluntary student unionism) legislation and the government’s inadequate funding for public education in general.  Although numbers were down thanks to the weather, the local media coverage was very positive. 

Speakers included Carl Harris (President of NUSA), Wayne Reynolds (NTEU Branch President), Sarah-Jane Collins (NUS State President), Trevor White of the CPSU, TAFE student Chris Gesling, and Kylie Rooke of the ASU.  Their words, regarding freedom of expression and the rights of students to organise in defence of their own interests, were particularly poignant in the current climate of staff and course rationalisation that Newcastle University is experiencing.

Faces in the crowd included local state MP Bryce Gaudry, local federal MP Sharon Grierson, and Vice Chancellor Nick Saunders, who received a verbal challenge (unanswered) from Claire Osborn, NUSA Education Officer, regarding his recent announcement to cut staff at the university.

The rally moved that the federal government restore education funding to 1996 levels with indexation, restore regional funding status to the University of Newcastle, and withdraw the VSU bill.  Ms Grierson will deliver these demands to Parliament this week.

“Despite rain, I think we pulled off a great rally,” said Claire Osborn, “We are thinking about creating an Education Alliance within the Newcastle community.”

The bill – Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005 – is scheduled for debate in the House of Representatives this Thursday.