The Guardian 31 August, 2005
Labor’s VSU sell-out enrages students
Angry students last week occupied the Australian Labor Party’s Victorian headquarters over the ALP’s sell-out over the issue of "voluntary student unionism" (VSU). One of the main aims of VSU is to remove student control over the provision of student services and let the private, for-profit sector take over, charging "market rates". The other main aim is to cripple organised student opposition to the Howard government’s policies.
The occupation followed ALP leader Kim Beazley’s reversal of the party’s 30-year opposition to the introduction of VSU, in a declaration that the government need only retain basic student services such a food and sport on campus.
The responsibility for attempting to explain the ALP’s new position directly to students was not taken by Beazley (who knew better than to try), but was delegated to offsider Julia Gillard.
Ms Gillard, who is herself a former student union president, told a meeting of hostile students at LaTrobe University that the change in policy had been made because the government now controlled both houses of parliament, and that "there is no way we can stop this legislation by simply voting against it".
In short, she was implying that the government might withdraw the worst aspects of the VSU legislation if the ALP offered to compromise.
As for Labor reversing VSU and restoring democratic control over student services, Kim Beazley quickly put an end to any such thoughts. He said that a future ALP government would not repeal or overturn the VSU legislation.
Beazley’s reaction was reminiscent of his position after the Howard government introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), when he immediately declared that the ALP had not introduced the new tax, but now that it was in, it would be too hard to repeal it in the future. In short, the ALP would drop its opposition and meekly accept it.
There is also a question mark over a future Beazley government’s attitude to rolling back Howard’s industrial relations "reforms".
The GST analogy is also relevant in another respect. Beazley’s position is reminiscent of that of former Democrats senator Meg Lees, who offered to accept the GST if fresh food was not subject to the tax. By doing so she allowed the government to get the tax operating, with its reactionary principles in place as a precedent for future extensions of the tax.
However, Beazley cannot even claim credit for achieving any such hollow victory over the VSU issue. The government does not need any sort of cooperation from opposition members of parliament in order to ramrod their legislation through, and therefore treated Beazley with the contempt he so richly deserves.
If the government modified its legislation in any way it would have more to do with opposition within its own ranks than Beazley’s rollover. This does not appear likely.
The Minister for Education, Brendan Nelson dismissed the ALP’s suggestion with outright contempt. He described the ALP’s suggestions as a "mirage" that would still require students to pay a compulsory fee. Health Minister Tony Abbott could not resist getting into the fray, and sneered that the ALP compromise was "back door compulsory student unionism".
Beazley may have thought that he could appeal to a "rebel" such as the National Party’s Barnaby Joyce. However, that individual subsequently revealed his true colours by backing down over the sale of Telstra. On the question of VSU he sniggered that "It’s good to see that after 100 years or so (Beazley) has decided that compulsory unionism is finished."
Democrats education spokesperson Natasha Stott Despoja has said that the ALP’s new position would disadvantage students. She remarked that "The crux of this issue is whether or not students should pay a universal fee, how this fee can be used and the accountability and democratic principles that govern disbursement of this fee".
The ALP leadership position over VSU has not pleased all within Labor ranks and has alienated the vast body of Australian tertiary students.
The National Environment Officer of the National Union of students, Anna Rose, declared angrily that "The ALP position is not practical, it’s cowardly. The Labor Party has caved in on the fundamental position of student unionism, and on students’ right to collectively and politically organise on campus.
"It is clear that we can not rely on the Labor Party, the National Party, or the parliamentary process to stand up for student rights. Students will keep protesting and taking direct action until we defeat any and all forms of VSU legislation."