Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, it absolutely is true. The impacts on student services include a 40 per cent drop in participation in sporting clubs and the closure of arts and crafts centres. Flinders University, another wonderful university in my home state, arguably the hardest hit by VSU in South Australia, has seen the six student controlled organisations dissolved—the student association, the sports association, the clubs and societies association, the international student association and the postgraduate student association. That is basically the entire student population directly impacted by the callousness and lack of foresight of this opposition policy, which was introduced six years ago.

The services that have been affected by the former government's regressive policy have seen millions of dollars lost. Incomes now come only from commercial operations and from the introduction of a user-pays system to access services. This means that many students are paying more than they can afford or are opting out of accessing services. At Flinders University we have seen the closure of quality and affordable childcare services. The collapse of the international students association has increased the social isolation experienced by international students. That is not me making that up; that is what international students have said to us. There is also the loss of student media—the ability of students to get those important add-ons that put them a cut above the rest once they graduate from university. Not just a bit of paper but the proof to say, 'I know how to apply this.' These are the things, beyond advocacy, that students have lost under VSU.

The University of South Australia, which is home to the largest tertiary international student population in my state, has seen funding of sports clubs reduced from $140,000 a year right down to only $21,500. It has had a significant impact on the ability of students to work as a community, because of the impact on their sporting clubs. It has diminished the ability to pay affiliation fees to maintain state and federal coordinating and representative structures. This means that students at the University of South Australia do not get the benefits of coordinated access and advocacy that a nationally run, coordinated student representative body would be able to offer them. So, when legislation like this comes to this place my constituents back in South Australia do not have a representative body to advocate for them at a federal level. It is no surprise that it has taken over three years for this legislation to come before the parliament to a point where it can be voted on, because there is no-one who is able to lobby and advocate for the rights of students. That was the sting in the tail of the opposition's entire strategy. It was: 'Let's cut student services, let's cut advocacy, let's rip out the heart of university campuses and student life and, ah, once we do all that no-one will be able to advocate otherwise.' It absolutely undercuts the ability of our future leaders to advocate for what is best for them.

These examples of the loss of services experienced by universities in South Australia are only a handful of the examples of the devastating impacts this policy has had on student welfare and support. The opposition carry on and on about how they are opposed to student services simply because they are opposed. It is no different from anything else. They are after all the party led by 'Dr No'. Of course they are going to say no and oppose for the sake of opposing.

This is about advocating for the future leaders of this country, students who are now paying more than ever for their university degrees and deserve to be able to do their degrees with the support of a well functioning, well supported, fledging university campus. We know that, unless we start funding student services to do that, this is not going to happen.

We know that VSU has had a significant impact on the ability of our Australian universities to compete in the global market. This is the case for international students as well as for the abilities and skills and added extras that make our Australian students better equipped, more resourced and better networked to compete in the working world after they graduate. It does not just have an impact on students now. It has a significant impact on their ability to compete with their peers once they graduate. There are a couple of amendments that I moved when this bill was first introduced, and the amendments have been circulated. I need to withdraw the first two amendments on sheet 6183, which was circulated some time ago. I understand that today, after extensive consultation with students and the university sector, the government have announced that they will be amending the guidelines to ensure that higher education providers must have a formal process of consultation with the democratically elected student representatives as well as representatives from major student organisations on how proceeds from any services and amenities fees are spent. That is a welcome development and one that I hope will ensure greater transparency in how the student fee would be spent.

The Greens have a proud tradition of supporting accessible and affordable higher education. In keeping with that principle, we support moves to remove the Howard government draconian VSU provision and to allow universities again to fund a wider range of services and facilities to ensure that the university experience of our students today and tomorrow is what it should be.