Coalition to oppose Labor's 'university tax slug'

24-February-2009

Shadow Minister for Youth Sophie Mirabella MP today vowed that the Opposition would oppose Labor’s legislation to introduce a $250 compulsory tax slug on Australian University students, which was introduced by the Rudd Government this month.

“The Liberal Party’s policy has always been to oppose compulsory extra curricular fees on students. As such, we will not be supporting the Rudd Government’s extra tax of $250 on University students who are already living on shoestring budgets,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“How can a government which speaks so often about “justice” seriously consider hitting students with a compulsory tax for services they may not want to use – or in the case of 130,000 external students, may never even have the opportunity to use – it is just absurd and we wont be supporting it.”

“A cursory glance of the legislation also shows that the Minister’s promise to prohibit money being spent for political purposes is essentially an empty one. The only activities expressly prohibited are direct donations to political parties and funding for election to a Commonwealth, State, Territory or Local Government body,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“This still leaves a large range of political activities - including funding campaigns against legislation and policies, funding direct elections to the student union, direct support for trade unions or any other organisation not registered as a political party.”

“Of even greater concern is that the new Student Services and Amenities Fee Guidelines, which set out exactly what the fees may be spent on, will be subject to amendment by none other than the Minister for Education, a former student union activist, union lawyer and Management Committee member of the Socialist Forum,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“This is an attempt to re-impose a compulsory fee which would, in effect, fund the activities of the student union. The opposition believes student unions should be voluntary organisations accountable to students and who should not be given compulsorily acquired funds. This is clearly compulsory unionism by stealth.”

“This legislation allows the funds to be used for “student representation” and thus political activities of student unions will be funded by all students whether they like it or not. It’s exactly what Labor promised not to do,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“The Howard Government’s historic 2005 Voluntary Student Unionism legislation continues to give students the freedom to choose how and on what services they spend their own money. “We put a stop to the enforcement of, “No Ticket, No Start” on all university campuses which has saved students on average $246 annually.”

“Savings for students, who have chosen not to join the student union, have averaged $318. However the Rudd Government seeks to turn back the clock on this. The opposition will stand up for students and fight against this unfair tax slug on young Australians. It’s completely unfair, it’s a broken election promise and it must be stopped,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.